Views on Pacific Islands migrants incorrect

By ANGELA GREGORY

Many New Zealanders wildly overestimate the number of Pacific Island immigrants and blame them for crime, says a Massey University survey.

At an immigration seminar in Wellington yesterday, Professor Philip Gendall presented the results of the study which examined attitudes to immigration.

The mail survey of 2200 New Zealanders last year showed that a quarter of respondents believed Pacific Islanders were the largest migrant group in 2002.

Just over a third thought Chinese were.

Professor Gendall told the Herald there were about 3200 Pacific Islands migrants that year, compared with 8000 from China, 8000 from India and 6700 from Great Britain.

Professor Gendall said reasons for overestimating the number of Pacific migrants could relate to attitudes towards Pacific Islanders.

He thought it interesting that 75 per cent of those surveyed believed Pacific Islanders were the immigrants who most increased crime in New Zealand.

Only 10 per cent thought Pacific Islanders were generally good for the economy.

Pacific Island and Asian countries were singled out as those from which New Zealand took too many migrants.

The survey showed most New Zealanders believed immigrants had improved local food and cuisine, but only about half believed they were vital to a prosperous economy.

Eighty per cent of those surveyed said New Zealanders were not racists but were uncomfortable with large-scale immigration of non-English-speaking people.

A Victoria University telephone survey showed about half of the respondents thought immigrant numbers were about right, but 45 per cent said they were too high.

Researcher Professor Colleen Ward said the survey showed New Zealanders had little contact with immigrants.

"Most frequently it is in the workplace but even then not that often."