The concern follows media exposure of numerous shameful examples of migrant workers coming to New Zealand and finding themselves without work, money or suitable accommodation.

On Monday, INZ said it had received 711 complaints against accredited employers, with 154 being investigated for criminal offending.

Of these, INZ said 52 employers are being assessed to have their accreditation revoked. By mid-last month, six had already been revoked and five suspended.

Steve Watson, INZ's general manager of immigration compliance and investigations, said 151 of those complaints have been referred to INZ's compliance department as they relate to migrants working in breach of visa conditions.

Employment New Zealand is examining another 406, as these were about breaches of employment law and migrant exploitation.

Migrants exploitation - the many ugly faces

Multiple investigations over migrant exploitation are underway.

It is just three weeks since 115 workers from India and Bangladesh on accredited employer work visas (AEWV) were found living in crammed and unsanitary conditions. They said they had had no income for months.

In May, the Herald reported hundreds of Nepalese may have paid up to $30,000 for visas to non-existent jobs.

Up to 250 migrants from South American countries paid large amounts for visas to come here on a false promise of residency-leading jobs.

There are ongoing concerns too, that not enough is being done to tackle worker exploitation in the alcohol industry.

Newshub's Nick Truebridge found 40 migrants "holed up" at a Papakura house without food.

He says the migrants were subjected to these conditions after trying to find a better life under the Accredited Employer Work Visa Scheme.

RNZ's Lucy Xia tells migrant exploitation stories too. She speaks of migrants allegedly exploited and left all but destitute after being told they were heading into decent jobs.

Immigration Minister Andrew Little says migrant exploitation has resulted in over 200 offshore migrants' visas being cancelled.

He says 10 migrants were stopped, turned around at the New Zealand border and their visas were cancelled.

INZ confirms the Minister's comments in this respect, but says he's mistaken about INZ cancelling the visas of 193 offshore migrants caught in a scam.

They haven't been cancelled.

"These individuals have border alerts so we can ensure they do not board a flight and come to New Zealand until such time as their employment has been verified," INZ national manager Peter Elms says.

He also confirmed INZ had not cancelled any accredited employer work visas of offshore migrants whose employers have had their accreditation revoked.

1News says INZ investigations are focusing on "five to six" accredited employers who had about 400 visas issued to them, and on their mistreatment of 115 Indian and Bangladeshi workers.

Source

• RNZ
• NZ Herald
• 1News
• NZ Herald
• CathNews NZ

The article highlighting their plight has been pulled from the NZ Herald's website.

On Wednesday, Wellington NZ Herald reporter, Georgina Campbell, reported that migrant bus drivers have been brought to the Capital and are being put up without the bare essentials.

The migrant bus drivers lack basics like beds and mattresses, heaters, kitchen utensils, washing machines and fridges.

Campbell was responding to an appeal by a Wellington woman posted on a community Facebook page, saying she is helping 18 Filipino migrant bus drivers.

The woman says the drivers have been in the city for around three weeks and need help as they head into winter.

Daran Ponter, the Greater Wellington Regional Council chairman, confirmed he had received a screenshot of a Facebook post in a community group.

Ponter says he passed the Facebook screenshot on to the Regional Council's public transport arm, Metlink.

The post asked if anyone could lend household items.

"We are bus drivers here in Wellington. We are new here. Happy to pay if they are selling cheap. (sic.) Very much appreciated. Thank you," the post said.

Commenting on behalf of NZ Bus in Wellington, Russell Turnbull said all new drivers to the country employed by the company received settlement support during their first four to six weeks here.

This included accommodation provided by NZ Bus, Turnbull said.

However, the level of care is being questioned by neighbours of one of the migrant driver groups.

"They're new to the country and don't even know how to get rid of their rubbish," one man told CathNews.

The man who wished to remain anonymous said he shouted these migrants a roll of City Council rubbish bags and explained how the rubbish system worked.

"Their English was good and once they knew what to do they were fine."

Quick to retort, "But I'll shout them another bag again next week if I need to."

Before his neighbourly intervention, rubbish was left in black bags and not collected at the gate.

"It's really basic stuff and very unfair," he said.

CathNews contacted the man again on Thursday, asking if he noticed any change.

"Yes," he laughed.

"The City Council have visited and left a notice in all the residents' letterboxes saying that rubbish put out in black bags won't be collected."

Raising his eyebrow, he sighed, "Very helpful."

However, Wellington Regional Council Transport Committee chairman Thomas Nash told the NZ Herald that the well-being of drivers is important.

Nash said that the council is making every effort to ensure the migrant drivers are looked after and have a good experience.

He also acknowledged it wasn't easy coming to a new country.

"It's expensive, there are always set-up costs, and it's always helpful when employers, friends, family, community groups and neighbours help out.

"To everyone who is doing that for any new workers who are coming into Wellington, we are very grateful," he said.

The Wellington Regional Council is hiking rates by a massive 17.8% in part to attract bus drivers and further decarbonise its bus fleet.

The Capital is struggling to get on top of its shortage of some 125 drivers, which causes buses to be cancelled.

Bus cancellations also threaten the highly controversial multi-million dollar "Let's get Welly Moving" campaign.

Sources

• NZ Herald (Last accessed 19 April 2023)
• Reddit
• I Love Karori (Private Facebook group)