INZ says Vietnamese migrants paying big money for visas to come here are forced to cultivate cannabis to pay back debt. Photo / NZ Police
INZ says Vietnamese migrants paying big money for visas to come here are forced to cultivate cannabis to pay back debt. Photo / NZ Police
The sanctity of New Zealand’s immigration system is being questioned following revelations of extremely low numbers of checks being made on applications and employers under the Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) scheme.
Figures released to the Herald showed that since the scheme opened in July last year, verification and checks had been made on just 4300 of the 94,913 applications.
The New Zealand Association of Migration and Investment (NZAMI) said figures it obtained showed just 800 of the 28,000 accredited employers were checked.
An insider who has been involved in an investigation into illegal cannabis cultivation says the ease for businesses to get accreditation and lack of checks on applicants have made NZ an “attractive base” for Vietnamese drug syndicates.
The ease to get work visas and lack of checks under the accreditation scheme have seen thousands of non-bona fide workers coming to NZ. Photo / 123rf
INZ said at a police-led community meeting in Auckland last week that Vietnamese migrants who paid large sums of money to come to New Zealand are being forced into cultivating illegal cannabis to pay back debt.
The agency had issued 3415 work visas to Vietnamese nationals, and 2764 have arrived since, and 33 have been deported or self-deported over the past two years - 10 last year and 23 this year. Among them are three ex-chefs who used to work for a top restaurant group here.
The insider, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said agents would target Vietnamese nationals in their home country, convincing them to borrow big money from loan sharks on a false promise of being able to earn even bigger money when they got to NZ.
Vietnamese nationals are being targeted by agents back in their home country. Photo / 123rf
“When they come, they find there is no job or money and by that stage they are vulnerable preys who are being forced to work for these drug syndicates,” he said.
The men working as crop sitters are brought here through visas linked to construction companies and restaurants, while the women come on work visas obtained through nail salons and health therapy businesses.
“The women do the support work, and some of them are used as drug mules to smuggle the cannabis overseas,” he said.
Late last year, police searches in Takanini and Otahuhu properties uncovered large cannabis-growing operations, with one entirely modified to grow the illegal plants.
“The AEWV scheme, with so few checks, have made it easy for the syndicates to bring in the people they want and make New Zealand an attractive base,” he said.
“Also, the maximum penalty for cultivating cannabis here is just seven years’ jail. If they get caught for doing the same thing in Vietnam they face death.”
David Campbell, national manager, compliance, MBIE said it would not be appropriate for INZ to comment on how criminal operations are run.
NZ Association for Migration and Investment chairwoman Arunima Dhingra. Photo / Alex Burton
NZAMI chairwoman Arunima Dhingra said the verification figures fell way below INZ’s undertaking of checking at least 15 per cent of the 28,000 accredited employers.
“There have been just nearly 800 checks in the employer accreditation space to date...so if my maths is correct, that means a 2.5 per cent verification of accredited employers and the AEWV applications together,” Dhingra said.
“Any immigration setting can only be as effective as its implementation. INZ should be able to verify and narrow down on certain types of employers, industries, migrant profiles...to ensure that the sanctity of our immigration system is being upheld.”
Geoff Scott, national manager risk and verification said verification checks can take place at all or any of the “three gateways” of the scheme: employer accreditation, job check, and the AEWV application stages.
“Immigration officers can conduct verification checks themselves, or make a referral to a specialist verification officer for more support,” Scott said.
Immigration Minister Andrew Little. Photo / Mark Mitchell
Immigration Minister Andrew Little however said it would be inaccurate to say that low number of employers have been checked.
“Not all employers require a certification check from a specialised verification officer.”
Little said migrant exploitation and fraud are serious offences and all employers are expected to take their responsibilities seriously and adhere to the law.
“The majority of employers are good employers and adhere to the law, but for the small numbers who don’t, it is a criminal offence and there are serious consequences.”
The minister said he has instructed the Public Service Commissioner to conduct a review to determine whether INZ’s administration of the AEWV scheme is being carried out appropriately.
INZ national manager investigations Stephanie Greathead said the agency aimed to help people remain lawful and abide by their visa conditions.
She said if any migrant felt they were in a situation where they were being exploited or potentially exploited, they should let INZ know by calling the MBIE contact centre on 0800 209020.
