Immigration New Zealand launches investigation into migrant worker exploitation

The government has launched an investigation into dozens of migrant workers who have been left stranded in Auckland.

A Newshub report on Sunday revealed that more than 30 workers were stuck in Auckland after arriving in the country on accredited employment work visas.

Despite paying significant sums of money, ranging from $15,000 to $40,000, to various agents for their visas and related jobs, most of these workers were not provided with any paid employment.

Immigration New Zealand has since launched an investigation into four more properties in Auckland housing dozens more workers who are jobless.

Investigators have interviewed 115 Indian and Bangladeshi nationals who entered New Zealand on accredited employment work visas. They also inspected the residences where the workers are staying and found that these properties were unsuitable for accommodating such a large number of people.

The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment said the primary concern of Immigration New Zealand is the health and well-being of these individuals. This includes ensuring that each property has access to food, water and electricity, and connecting them with local agencies that can provide support and pastoral care.

On Thursday, Immigration Minister Andrew Little said the Public Service Commission would review the accredited employer work visa scheme's processes after a whistleblower came forward with allegations of abuse.

Papakura accommodation

RNZ can confirm that more than 30 workers are currently crammed into a squalid three-bedroom house in the South Auckland suburb of Papakura awaiting jobs.

They share a single toilet and shower, as well as rubbish bins that are overflowing.

Mattresses consume much of the floor space in rooms throughout the property and migrants who spoke to RNZ said that many are sleeping on the floor and it's too cold. The garage is being used to hang clothes and store luggage.

Migrants complained of a plumbing problem, while a smell of sewage from underneath the home fills the entire house.

Sathish Kumar is a welder who relocated to New Zealand after working in Poland for the past 18 months.

"I was on vacation in India and heard about New Zealand and job opportunities," Kumar said.

Kumar reportedly paid $16,000 for his job and visa and arrived in Auckland two months ago.

Kumar said 25 workers were already living in the house when he arrived.

Gurvinder Singh, a truck driver who had spent the past eight years working in Dubai, paid $30,000 for his visa. He arrived in New Zealand in June.

"I'm calling my company daily and they are telling me to wait," Singh said.

Eventually, Singh managed to meet company officials in Auckland but, to his dismay, he found no trucks available for him to drive.

Like many others in the house, Singh is now stuck in a state of uncertainty.

The migrants in the house have contacted Union Network of Migrants NZ president Mandeep Singh Bela and asked for help.

Bela said the accredited employer visa scheme had become an epidemic of migrant exploitation.

"This work visa scheme is being abused right now and the minister (of immigration) needs to have a good look at the accredited employer work visa processes, including how their accreditations are approved," he said.

He said employers were not held accountable under the current system and expressed concern about the health and safety risks posed by overcrowded accommodation.

"The reality is that they are crowded into these houses, and they are struggling," he said.

Immigration New Zealand director of visas Sarah Clifford said her department had received a range of allegations and complaints related to worker exploitation. The department is currently conducting multiple investigations into these matters.

As of 9 August, five employers have had their accreditation suspended, and six others have had their accreditation revoked. Three of the six employers whose accreditation was revoked were the outcome of Immigration New Zealand investigations.

The Indian High Commission agreed to provide support to their nationals.

Immigration New Zealand is now working to contact offshore visa holders who are linked to this case to notify them not to travel until they receive further contact.

According to Immigration New Zealand, 80,576 accredited employer work visas have been approved since the new visa began in July 2022 as of Monday. Approximately 27,892 accredited employers have been recognised over the same period.

'Serious consequences'

Separately, Little has asked officials to work with a representative for exploited Chinese migrant workers to gather information following a meeting with a group of them last week.

About 20 Chinese workers attended the meeting in Auckland, many of whom has paid tens of thousands of dollars for a work visa in New Zealand but were given little or no work upon arrival.

"Any instance of migrant exploitation is unacceptable, but unfortunately, we won't eliminate every act of exploitation by a bad employer - that's why we have things in place like audits, checks and responding to complaints," Little said. "The majority of employers adhere to the law but for the small numbers who don't, it is a criminal offence and there are serious consequences."

Workers who attended the meeting told RNZ the six-month migrant exploitation protection visa was not long enough for them to find long-term employment or to deal with the often-prolonged legal processes.

Employment law advocate May Moncur said the workers also called on the government to remove the 90-day trial period and make the complaints process easier.

Little said no restrictions had been put in place regarding the inclusion of 90-day trial periods in employment agreements for hiring migrants under the accredited employer work visa.

"The government is currently considering what measures can be taken to ensure the 90-day trial is not abused by employers of migrants," he said.

In addition to safeguards available under the migrant exploitation protection visa, Little said alternative pathways for workers include the dismissed worker visitor visa and the ability to transfer to another accredited employer.

Yanfeng Lin, a migrant worker who attended the meeting on 10 August, hoped employers and agents working illegally could be held accountable.

"It doesn't cost much for those bad people to do illegal things," he said, "but the cost for us to uphold our rights is too high."