Official warning forces migrants centre to shut

The Immigration Advisers Authority has issued 18 warning letters to people it says are breaching the Immigration Advisers Licensing Act since it became law on May 4.

But a director of a defunct migrant workers support centre which received a warning says the authority is using the act to "attack migrant support services" rather than police dodgy immigration advisers.

He has filed a request under the Official Information Act seeking answers as to why his centre was targeted.

Mike Bell said he was forced to close the Skilled Migrant Resource Centre, a registered charity which operated as a drop-in support centre for skilled migrants, after being served a letter from the authority's solicitor in July.

"I was told the reason I was sent the warning letter was because of my appearance on a TV3 news report where I apparently presented myself as an immigration adviser," he said.

"Being served a notice like this, with up to seven years' jail as a penalty, I took it very seriously.

"As a result, New Zealand's only dedicated facility for skilled migrants was closed down.

"The act is being used to attack support services at great expense to the taxpayer."

In his television interview on July 4, Mr Bell asked the Government to give skilled migrants who had lost jobs in the recession more time to look for work rather than just kicking them out of the country.

Blogger Helen Winterbottom is another who was warned by the authority for allegedly breaching the act, after she wrote about immigration matters on her blogsite.

Registrar Barry Smedts denied that the legislation was being used to target non-advisers, but would not say how many of the warning letters had been issued to unlicensed fee-charging advisers.

"The act is in place to protect migrants from poor advice from would-be experts. Forewarning letters have been sent to individuals whose activities appear to breach the act," Mr Smedts said.

"Someone who is commenting on immigration matters is not giving immigration advice, and these activities would be of no interest to the authority."

Mr Smedts said he would be happy to discuss the matter directly, and not through the media, with Mr Bell.

Allan Hughes of Kiwi Immigration Watch said the case again showed the "stupidity" of the act and why it needed reviewing.