National calls for big cut in migrants

By AUDREY YOUNG

National is proposing a significant cut to New Zealand's immigration target, to 1 per cent of the population.

On present population figures, that would lower approvals by 13,000 a year to about 40,000.

The proposal is in a discussion document issued by National immigration spokesman Murray McCully yesterday.

He said the focus of the policy paper was on "net benefit to New Zealand".



Last year permanent residence was approved for 52,856 people.

The original target was 45,000, plus or minus 10 per cent.

The number of approvals in the past eight years has ranged from 54,437 in 1995-96 to 28,493 in 1998-99.

The party proposes that the 1 per cent target be reviewed annually in the light of the country's ability to absorb new migrants and the number of New Zealanders' arriving and departing.

"Recent knee-jerk changes to English language requirements have seriously undermined confidence in the policy-making process," it says.

National is also proposing increasing the share of immigrants be in the skilled/business category from 60 per cent to 70 per cent at the expense of the other two main categories, the family-sponsored applicants, at present 30 per cent, and the international/humanitarian group, 10 per cent.

The paper also proposes:

* Abolishing the Pacific access category which allows in 250 people a year from Tonga, 75 from Tuvalu and 50 from Kiribati.

* Reviewing the Samoan quota of 1100.

* Removing entitlement to welfare benefits from all immigrants except refugees during their first two years in New Zealand.

* Considering a pilot scheme to tender a small number of business visas for fast-track entry to wealthy applicants.

* Cutting the refugee quota from 750 to 500 to bring the number of approvals closer to 1000 when asylum seekers are added.

Anti-immigration campaigner New Zealand First leader Winston Peters said: "Imitation is the most insincere form of flattery."

National had accused his party of being racist in 1996 when it opposed "their mass immigration policy".

"National is polling at their lowest level in the party's history and are desperately looking for some political points to prove that they are not a party dying a slow death."

Act leader Richard Prebble has asked the transport and industrial relations select committee to conduct an inquiry into the English language test changes made last week, the reasoning, and its impact. He believes the test is racist.

With the likely support of the Greens and the possible support of New Zealand First, the inquiry could proceed.

New Zealand First's member of the committee, Peter Brown, said the caucus would decide next week whether to support the inquiry. But he was seeking an inquiry by the same committee into ACC.

"I've got more sympathy for ACC victims than I have for people who want to come in here and think they can speak adequate English," he said yesterday.

Meanwhile, race relations commissioner Joris de Bres yesterday met the chief operating officer of the Immigration Service, Andrew Lockhart, to find out more about the tests.

* The Herald wants people to have their say on immigration issues. Send contributions to dialogue@nzherald.co.nz.

Herald feature: Immigration