Ministers to examine migrants' jobs plight

Migrant workers who have lost their jobs and temporary work permits are to meet Government officials to discuss their plight.

The Migrant Action Trust has organised a meeting this month to discuss the issues that have affected thousands of people during the recession.

Organiser Agnes Granada said the meeting would call for a change in policy on temporary workers, who faced removal from New Zealand if they were made redundant.

Temporary workers come in New Zealand to fill skill gaps. Employers are required to show that no New Zealanders are available for the job.

However, if they lose their jobs, as many have in the recession, their permit to remain becomes invalid, and they are required to find another job under the same scheme or leave.

As unemployment has risen, there have been more New Zealanders available to fill jobs, so fewer temporary permits are being renewed.

Hundreds of thousands of migrants are on temporary work permits, which allow the applicant to work with designated companies in specific jobs.

A record 188,000 temporary work applications were approved in 2007-08.

"Kicking these migrants out is not a solution, because when the economy recovers, we will be needing the skills they have to kick-start New Zealand's economy again," Ms Granada said.

Ethnic Affairs Minister Pansy Wong said yesterday that National list MP Jackie Blue would represent the Government, as chairwoman of the caucus committee for immigration and labour.

Labour's Chinese MP, Raymond Huo, will also attend.

Ms Granada said her office had received calls from hundreds of migrant workers who had been made redundant and were unable to find another job.

Worst affected were those who were recruited overseas and moved to New Zealand with their families.

Manny dela Cruz, an IT worker from the Philippines, was made redundant seven weeks after arriving in New Zealand. He said the shift cost him his life savings, and he intended to appeal to the ministers at the meeting for help.

"I sold everything to raise the money to come here, thinking I would be able to earn enough to make up for it after working here for a couple of years, but never in my wildest nightmare did I think that I'd be jobless even before I could even get my seat warm in New Zealand."

Mr Huo said he wanted to attend the forum to get ideas to map a plan to help New Zealand get out of a recession "which is going faster than the Government".

He said migrant workers brought with them skills and characteristics which New Zealand needed, and should not be singled out as a group to be made redundant.

The meeting will be at Windy Ridge school in Glenfield, on May 30.