22/05/10 - Weak migration adds to property fears

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Migration to New Zealand is weakening, and will reduce support for the housing market in the next 18 months, along with rising interest rates and Budget tax changes, according to an economist.

The net gain in migration of just 800 in April was the lowest monthly figure since the end of 2008, according to official figures. There was a drop in both the number of people arriving and leaving permanently.

In the year to April the total net gain was just under 20,000 people, down from a recent peak of 22,600 in the year to January, Statistics New Zealand said. The 20,000 gain adds just under 0.5 per cent to the population.

Migration is expected to weaken further as more people leave for better job prospects in a stronger Australian economy, even though New Zealand's economy is also improving and unemployment is dropping.

Deutsche Bank chief economist Darren Gibbs said outflows to Australia were expected to rise this year, though the Budget tax cuts would help to stem some of that flow.

In the year to April, about 30,000 people left for Australia – about 15,000 fewer than the year to April 2009. The net loss to Australia in the past year was about 15,000 people – less than half the level of the previous year.

While migration numbers were falling, the overall net gain was still supporting the economy, along with tourism, low interest rates, strong commodity prices and trading partner growth, Mr Gibbs said.

ASB Bank economist Jane Turner said the weaker trend in migration would "reduce support" for the housing market as it faced headwinds from rising interest rates. The Reserve Bank is expected to start lifting official interest rates next month.

As well, the Budget change on property depreciation would also lower demand for housing "at the margin", she said.

The impact of those factors was expected to be relatively muted, "with house prices probably giving back some of the gains made during the spring recovery".

However, Westpac Bank said the tax changes were a "clear negative" for house price growth. Property ownership was an income tax shelter for both owner-occupiers and landlords. So if the rate of income tax fell, the tax-shelter value of property waned and the capital value of property would fall.

But rather than predicting a drop, houses prices would stay flatter for longer than previously expected, Westpac said.

Statistics New Zealand said the seasonally adjusted 800 net gain in migration in April was the lowest increase since December 2008, when the net gain was 500.

On an unadjusted basis, there were 700 fewer arrivals and 300 more departures of non-New Zealand citizens than in April 2009. The net outflow of New Zealand citizens for the year to April was the lowest for an April year since 1995.

Coming And Going

• Net migration weakened in April, but the annual gain remains stronger than average in the past decade.
• Monthly: Net migration 800 (April seasonally adjusted)
• Average last year: 1900 a month.
• Yearly: Net migration: 20,000 (year to April); 22,600 (year to January).
• Average for past decade: 11,900.
• Departures in year to April: 63,700 (down 20 per cent from year to April 2009).
• Arrivals in year to April: 83,600 (down 6 per cent from year to April 2009).

(Source Dominion Post)

21/05/10 - NZ migration boosted by Brit invasion

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The number of Britons coming to New Zealand continued to be bump up migration statistics, as the state of the UK’s economy encourages them to leave and deters new people from going.

Net inward migration was 20,000 in the 12 months ended April 30, more than twice the 9,200 in April a year ago, though down from its 22,600 peak in January.

Some 16,000 new Brits have underpinned the number, while only 8,000 people left New Zealand for the UK.

Still, this is expected to slow in coming months as more New Zealanders look across the Tasman for better job prospects, with about 30,000 kiwis crossing the Ditch in the past 12 months.

"Stronger employment growth and a firmer labour market in Australia, relative to New Zealand, will continue to attract New Zealanders across the Tasman over the next year," said Jane Turner, ASB economist.

"We expect the annual inflow of net migrants to continue to slow, as departures begin to recover, particularly to Australia."

An inflow of new migrants and returning expatriates underpinned growth in New Zealand’s population last year as the global financial crisis took its toll on labour markets around the world.

As the recovery sets in, particularly in Australia where there was no recession, people are beginning to feel more comfortable to look offshore for opportunities once more.

Tourist numbers fell 1.8 percent in April, with a decline in British and American holidaymakers somewhat offset by more Asian visitors, particularly Koreans.

(Source Dominion Post)

20/05/10 - Migrant works to honour war heroes

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An Auckland widow born in a Japanese prisoner-of-war camp has made it her mission to highlight New Zealand World War II heroes of the Pacific.

Christina McTaggart, 66, gives regular talks about her family's war time ordeal "to keep it real" for Kiwis.

Her next talk will be at the Avondale Library tomorrow morning, where she will share her story of being the first baby to survive the jungle hell in Fuji-go, a resettlement camp set up in what was then Malaya in 1943 by the Japanese military authorities.

A recent AUT University study suggests interest in Anzac Day is likely to decline over time.

Historian Professor Paul Moon found that an increase in the number of immigrants, without an understanding of the significance of Anzac Day, would also contribute to that decline.

Mrs McTaggart, originally from Singapore, said treating Anzac Day as "a day we honoured all Kiwi heroes who fought in all wars" would make the day more meaningful, especially for new migrants who knew little about Gallipoli.

She said it was important for Kiwis to learn about what happened in other wars our soldiers have fought, including in Malaya.

Mrs McTaggart said she was too young to remember or understand anything about what went on, but her mother never stopped telling her stories about the war.

One that was often told was about the time Singapore fell to the Japanese and the interrogation of men that followed.

"They were tortured, burned with cigarettes, their heads held under water and they were beaten until they talked. If they worked for the British, they were taken away and killed."

But she remembers one happy tale her mother told.

"It is about how the New Zealand and Australian forces came, as bearers of good news, bringing food to the village and the news that the Japanese had surrendered," Mrs McTaggart said.

"Since young, I have always had a warm feeling about the New Zealand and Australian Army because of that story. I think those who died in Malaya should be remembered just as much as those who fought in the battle of Gallipoli."

Mrs McTaggart's mother, Hilda Wee, now 91, still lives in Singapore.

During the Japanese occupation, at least 300 people in her village died, mostly from malnutrition, beri-beri, malaria and other insect-borne diseases.

"I don't think many in this new generation can imagine the horrors of war," Mrs McTaggart said.

"Death is just an integral part of it, and those who were not killed or tortured to death died of starvation because there was not enough food," she said.

"My family did not starve, but the less fortunate people had to eat whatever they could find, such as wild fowl, snails, frogs and cats. My mother had to enter the jungle to catch monitor lizards, which were a delicacy."

Mrs McTaggart moved to New Zealand in 1971 after she married naval architect Daniel McTaggart. He died six years ago.

(Source Lincoln Tan, NZ Herald)

12/05/10 - Foreign student numbers rising

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The number of international students has risen for the first time in six years.

Education New Zealand figures show 93,500 fee-paying foreign students studied in the country last year, compared with 88,570 the previous year.

The students paid $663 million in tuition fees, up 10 per cent from 2008.

In 2003, 121,190 students paid $746m in tuition fees.

Education New Zealand chief executive Robert Stevens said people tended to stay in education longer or enter tertiary education from the labour market in tough economic times.

The organisation's target group, those in the high-income bracket, were still able to afford to study overseas, he said.

Stevens said the organisation and education providers carried out intensive marketing in China, India, Vietnam, Thailand, South Korea, Malaysia, North America, Brazil and Germany last year.

One campaign saw the organisation run secondary school cricket competitions in New Delhi.

"Those competitions really helped put New Zealand on the map for education options and it was through a very simple marketing campaign," he said.

"It's too early for statistics around this, but anecdotally it was a great success."

More than two-thirds of New Zealand's international students studied English last year, while 19 per cent studied business-business computing and 3.8 per cent studied tourism-hospitality.

China was the country's biggest education market, with 20,780 Chinese (including Hong Kong) students last year, followed by South Korea (15,905), Japan (9697) and India (8673).

Canterbury has 15 per cent of international students.

(Source J Gilbert, The Press)

04/05/10 - Migrant adviser law starts today

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People giving immigration advice will from today be required by law to be licensed, as the Immigration Advisers Licensing Act comes into full force.

Immigration Minister Jonathan Coleman said this would strengthen New Zealand's reputation as a migrant destination and cut out "cowboy advisers".

Under the new law, unlicensed advisers face fines of up to $100,000 and/or imprisonment for up to seven years.

(Source NZ Herald)

04/05/10 - Zaoui to launch fast food career

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Ahmed Zaoui is to launch a new career selling fast food in Palmerston North.

Mr Zaoui, the Algerian man at the centre of a prolonged refugee battle after being branded a security risk, will be selling Middle Eastern food from a caravan in The Square, the Manawatu Standard reported.

Mr Zaoui's wife Leila Tidjani will be involved in the business as well, which is due to open in about two weeks selling fish and mince kebabs, Moroccan cuisine and Algerian cakes, as well as burgers, fries and couscous.

The Zaoui family moved to Palmerston North last year. He initially worked part-time for the Manawatu Muslim Association but has been unemployed in recent months as the association could not afford to employ him.

Mr Zaoui was democratically elected to represent the Algerian Islamic Front for Salvation (FIS) in December 1991, but the new government was overthrown in a military coup in January 1992 and he fled to Europe.

He was accused of being associated with the militant Armed Islamic Group (GIA), but denied any such involvement.

Mr Zaoui arrived in New Zealand in December 2002 and sought refugee status, saying he would be tortured or killed if he went back top Algeria.

He spent almost two years in prison waiting for his case to be decided as he fought an SIS certificate declaring him to be a security risk who should not remain in New Zealand.

Mr Zaoui was declared a genuine refugee in August 2003 by the Refugee Status Appeals Authority and released on bail in December 2004, living with the Catholic community in the Dominican Priory in Auckland.

He resisted calls to return to Algeria after a political amnesty was declared in his former home country, and in September 2007 his security risk certificate was withdrawn. His family arrived in New Zealand a month later.

Mr Zaoui said the food caravan was 95 per cent ready and he would enjoy socialising with customers.

(Source NZPA)

04/05/10 - Chinese flocking to NZ but it's only a stopover - study

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New Zealand is experiencing a surge in migration from China, but many of the new arrivals are unlikely to stay, an Auckland University doctoral student's study has found.

China has been New Zealand's second-largest migrant source country since the Immigration Act 1987 came into effect, behind only Britain.

Last year, China outstripped Britain, supplying the highest number of new immigrants aged 20 and over.

Even after gaining New Zealand citizenship, many will leave, either to return to China or to go to a third country such as Australia, says the study, titled "Homeland on the move: New Chinese immigrants to New Zealand as transnationals".

"Being a New Zealand citizen does not result in full incorporation with and a sense of belonging to the host society for new China immigrants," said the report by Liangni Liu, 33, a doctoral student at the university's School of Asian Studies.

"Nor does it deter the pervasive identification of being 'Chinese' or the conceptualisation of 'home' as an emotional longing for the place of origin."

Of the 47 Chinese immigrants interviewed for the study, 27 had returned to China, 10 moved to Australia and only 10 remained.

Ms Liu, from Sichuan, said New Zealand was not the preferred destination choice for most Chinese immigrants, ranking lower than countries such as America, Canada and Australia.

But it was seen by Chinese migrants as a "good stepping stone" to get to another Western country.

"Gaining New Zealand residency or citizenship will give them a legal status to move to a more prosperous country, such as Australia," she said.

"New Zealand educational qualifications will also give them better employment opportunities there."

Reasons given for moving away included better job opportunities, family and the feeling they were not welcome in New Zealand.

"New Zealand is not multicultural enough and not tolerant enough towards foreigners," said a respondent, Sunny, who returned to China after becoming a New Zealand citizen. Another said the Chinese in New Zealand were always being regarded by locals as "just another bloody Asian newcomer".

"I am Chinese and China is my country. My home is here and here is a place where I feel I belong. In New Zealand, even though they offered me citizenship, I could not find the feeling of being home," said Lucy, another Kiwi citizen who has returned to China.

Ms Liu's report said: "For many, their transnational migration trajectories are open-ended. They may have some forward planning in mind, which may not necessarily involve returning to New Zealand."

Immigration figures show 25 per cent - or 14,868 - of the Chinese approved for residence between 2001 and 2008 are not now in New Zealand.

Asian studies professor Manying Ip, who is supervising Ms Liu's study, said the movements of the Chinese were not unlike those of many young New Zealand graduates.

"Being well educated makes these people extremely mobile ... [They will] go where the best opportunities are," Professor Ip said.

"But many also could also return here in the future to retire, or to raise a family."

SHORT STOP

• China is this country's second-largest source of migrants.
• New Zealand is seen as a stepping stone to get to other Western countries such as Australia.
• Immigration New Zealand says 14,868 Chinese approved for residence between 2001 and 2008 are not now in New Zealand.

(Source Lincoln Tan, NZ Herald)

02/05/10 - Migrants happy and well settled in NZ

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More than 90 percent of migrants were very happy with life and were settled after 18 months of living in New Zealand, a new survey found.

The Longitudinal Immigration Survey showed overall new migrants adjusted well and began contributing to the economy quickly.

Immigration Minister Jonathan Coleman said it was important migrants settled well, because they contributed $1.9 billion a year to the New Zealand economy and there were many countries competing for their skills.

"We're seeing a really positive trend with skilled migrants -- they are productive, they provide employers with the skills (that) may not be available in the workforce and they contribute to economic growth."

The survey, completed by the Department of Labour, questioned people that arrived in New Zealand under the skilled migrant category. Ninety-two percent of those were employed at the time of the survey.

The survey began in 2005 and will be completed later this year. It questioned 6000 new migrants at various stages after taking up permanent residence.

(Source Otago Daily Times)

26/04/10 - Staff followed procedure in questioning Hanson

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Controversial former Australian politician Pauline Hanson says she felt "like a criminal" when New Zealand immigration officials questioned her over her time in jail, but the immigration department says its staff were following standard procedure.

Hanson, 55, was pulled aside and questioned on her arrival for a South Island hiking holiday with friends earlier this month.

She told Woman's Day magazine she was "terribly embarrassed" and felt "like a criminal", the Sydney Morning Herald reported.

The former One Nation politician served 11 weeks in jail for electoral fraud in 2003 before being acquitted.

Immigration New Zealand said Hanson was questioned for five to 10 minutes because she had declared on her arrival card that she had been sentenced to 12 months or more in prison.

"It is standard procedure for Immigration New Zealand to speak with people who have declared convictions on their arrival card to determine whether they meet entry requirements under the Immigration Act before allowing them to enter New Zealand," a spokeswoman said.

After speaking with Hanson, immigration officers learned her sentence had been quashed and advised her she was free to continue with her travel.

Hanson said she would need to ensure her quashed conviction would not continue to dog her through immigration security zones before making any further travel plans, including a trip to Britain.

Hanson's hardline views ignited debate on immigration policy and Aboriginal disadvantage during the 1996 Australian federal election.

(Source TVNZ)

26/04/10 - New visa under fire

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A new visa policy to let overseas skilled graduate workers come to New Zealand to look for jobs is being criticised by migrant advocacy groups.

The Silver Fern job search visa will allow 300 overseas graduates aged between 20 and 35 to stay for up to nine months to seek skilled employment.

Immigration New Zealand predicts it will be in high demand.

Immigration Minister Jonathan Coleman said the new scheme would help attract young people with the right skills, but Migrant Action Trust spokeswoman Agnes Granada said:

"It's too late when these people come here and realise there are no jobs. They get stuck here and the Government doesn't care. It is left to people like us to pick them up."

(Source NZ Herald)