KEY POINTS:
Racism is undermining attempts to attract foreigners to Invercargill, a Venture Southland meeting has been told.
Southern Institute of Technology (SIT) chief executive Penny Simmonds told the meeting yesterday SIT was spending hundreds of thousands of dollars attracting foreign students to the region, but acts of racism in the city were undermining its efforts, the Southland Times reported.
Two Indian students had already decided to return home this year after being abused by a carload of youths, she said.
Other Southland leaders reported racism was not limited to the student sector, noting cases where mothers had been ignored at day care centres and six-year-olds had been reported making racist remarks.
Some migrants in rural areas were visiting the library simply to talk to someone because they were feeling isolated, Southland District Council chief executive Dave Adamson said.
National MP Eric Roy said he had heard of skilled migrants leaving Southland because they felt threatened.
Invercargill Mayor Tim Shadbolt said a designated student area with a hostel needed to be established away from the central business district because anyone walking through the city at night faced the risk of being abused "even if you go out with a police patrol" .
"I'd hate to be wearing a turban walking up (the street in) Invercargill," he said.
Mr Shadbolt and Ms Simmonds were arranging meetings with local skinheads to discuss the problem.
- NZPA
