Everything about Immigration To New Zealand totally explained
Immigration to New Zealand began with Polynesian settlement to
New Zealand, then uninhabited, in the thirteenth century.
European colonisation took place following the signing of the
Treaty of Waitangi of 1840. Subsequently there have been waves of immigration chiefly from the
British Isles, but also from continental Europe, East Asia and the Pacific.
Polynesian settlement
This is the period in which travellers of the South Pacific discovered the landmass of New Zealand. Eastern
Polynesian explorers had settled in New Zealand by approximately the thirteenth century AD. Their arrival gave rise to the
Māori culture and the
Māori language, both of which are unique to New Zealand, although very closely related to those of other parts of Eastern Polynesia. The resemblance is especially strong to the languages and cultures of the
Cook and
Society Islands, which are regarded as the most likely places of origin. Due to New Zealand's geographic isolation, 500 years passed before the next phase of settlement, the arrival of Europeans. Only then did the original inhabitants need to distinguish themselves from the new arrivals, using the term "Māori" which means "ordinary" or "indigenous".
Migration from 1840
European colonialism sent out a number of waves of migrants to New Zealand that left a deep legacy on the social and political structures of the Maori. Between the seventeenth and nineteenth centuries, there was a huge outflow of migrants from Europe to many parts of the world today. Early visitors to New Zealand included whalers, sealers, missionaries, mariners and merchants, attracted to natural resources in abundance. They came from
Great Britain,
Ireland,
Germany (forming the next biggest immigrant group after the British and Irish),
France,
Portugal,
the Netherlands,
Denmark,
America, and
Canada. However, it wasn't until the end of the nineteenth century that New Zealand was seen by colonialists as a desirable place.
There were three things that prompted the British, the largest imperial power of the time, to proclaim
sovereignty over New Zealand in 1840. First, there were plans for a French colony at
Akaroa. Another was petitioning from the
New Zealand Company. Finally the spread of lawlessness. Following the formalising of sovereignty, the organised and structured flow of migrants from England and Ireland began, and by 1860 more than 100,000 English, and Irish settlers were living throughout New Zealand. Others settlers came from Germany, Scandinavia, other parts of Europe as well as China and India, but British and Irish settlers made up the vast majority, and did so for the next 150 years. Between 1888 and the 1920s, legislation was passed that intended to limit Asiatic migration to New Zealand, and prevented them from naturalising. In particular, a poll tax was levied on Chinese immigrants up until the 1930s, when Japan began invading China, and finally abolished in
1944.
Post World War II migration
With the various agencies of the
United Nations dealing with humanitarian efforts following the
second world war, New Zealand accepted about 5,000 refugees and displaced persons from Europe, and more than 1,100
Hungarians between 1956 and 1959 (see
Refugee migration into New Zealand).
Immigration was limited to those who would meet a labour shortage in New Zealand. To encourage those to come, free and assisted passage was introduced in 1947 and expanded by the National Party in 1950. However, when it became clear that not enough skilled migrants could be found, recruitment began in Northern European countries. There was a bilateral agreement for skilled migrants with The Netherlands, and a large number of Dutch immigrants arrived in New Zealand. Others came in the 1950s from Denmark, Germany, Switzerland and Austria to meet needs in specialised occupations.
By the 1960s, the policy of excluding people based on race yielded a population that was mostly either Maori or European. By the mid 1960s, a desire for cheap unskilled labour lead to ethnic diversification. In the 1950s and 1960s, migrants were encouraged from the South Pacific. There was a large demand for unskilled labour in the manufacturing sector. As long as this demand continued, migrants were encouraged to come from the South Pacific, and many overstayed. However, when the boom times stopped, they were blamed for the economic downturn affecting the country, and many of those people were subjected to
dawn raids from 1974.
A record number of migrants arrived in during the 1970s; 70,000, for example, during 1973-1974. While many ethnicities are represented in those numbers, there was an underlying preference for migrants from "traditional sources", namely Britain, Europe and Northern America.
Introduction of points-based system
Along with the introduction a radical direction of economic theory, a new Immigration Act was passed into law in 1987. This was to end the preference for migrants from Britain, Europe or Northern America based on their race, and instead classify migrants on their skills, personal qualities, and potential contribution to New Zealand economy and society. The introduction of the points-based system came under the National government who pursued this policy change even more than the previous Labour one. This system was very similar to Canada’s, and came into effect in 1991. Effectively the qualities that are sought in the migrants are ranked and given a priority using a points-based scale. This is the current framework still governing immigration, however the results of an immigration review were announced in December 2006.
New migrant groups
This policy resulted in a wide variety of ethnicities, over 120 countries, being represented in New Zealand. Between 1991 and 1995 those given approval grew rapidly: 26,000 in 1992; 35,000 in 1994; 54,811 in 1995. The minimum target for residency approval was set at 25,000. The number approved was almost twice what was targeted. Since 1999, under the Labour-led governments, no change to the Immigration Act 1987 has been made, although some changes were made to the 1991 policy. In particular, the minimum
IELTS level for skilled migrants was raised from
5.5 to
6.5 in 2002, following concerns that immigrants who spoke English as a second language were encountering difficulty getting jobs in their chosen fields. Since then, migration from Britain and South Africa has increased, at the expense of immigration from Asia. However this has been mitigated somewhat by a study-for-residency programme for foreign university students.
By 2005, 60% of the applicants were accepted under the Skilled/Business category that awarded points for qualifications and work experience, or business experience and funds they'd available. From 1 Aug 2007, NZD$2.5 million is the minimum for the Active Investor Migrant Category .
Changes to the point system have also given more weight to job offers as compared to educational degrees. Previously, it had been noted (half-jokingly, half-cynically), that most taxi drivers in Auckland tended to be highly qualified engineers or doctors - who were unable to then find jobs in their fields once in the country.
Recent years
In 2004-2005, a target of 45,000 was set by the
Immigration New Zealand and represented 1.5% of the total population. However, the net effect was a population decline, since more left than arrived. 48,815 arrived, and overall the population was 10,000 or 0.25% less than the previous year. Overall though, New Zealand has one of the highest populations of foreign born citizens. In 2005, almost 20% of New Zealanders were born overseas, one of the highest percentages of any country in the world. The Department of Labour’s sixth annual
Migration Trends report shows a 21 per cent rise in work permits issued in the 2005/06 year compared with the previous year. Nearly 100,000 people were issued work permits to work in sectors ranging from IT to horticulture in the 2005/06 year. This compares with around 35,000 work permits issued in 1999-2000. Around 52,000 people were approved for permanent New Zealand residence in 2005/06. Over 60 per cent were approved under the skilled or business categories.
Other migrant quotas
New Zealand accepts 750
refugees per year mandated by the
United Nations. As part of the Pacific Access Category, 650 citizens come from
Fiji,
Tuvalu,
Kiribati, and
Tonga. 1,100
Samoan citizens come under the Samoan Quota scheme. Once resident, these people can apply to bring other family members to New Zealand under the Family Sponsored stream. Any migrant accepted under these schemes is granted permanent residency in New Zealand.
Government views today
There is a continuing emphasis on the economic benefit that migration plays, which has characterised the flow of migrants since 1840. Recent statements on immigration by the government have emphasised that New Zealand must compete for its share of skilled and talented migrants, and
David Cunliffe, the former immigration minister has argued that New Zealand was "in a global race for talent and we must win our share".. With this in mind, a bill (over 400 pages long) has been prepared that was sent to parliament in April 2007. It follows a
review of the immigration act
. The bill aims to make the process more efficient, and achieves this by giving more power to immigration officers. Rights of appeal are streamlined into a single appeal tribunal.
Caritas Aotearoa New Zealand warned that by reducing the existing appeal rights and giving more power to immigration officers, principles of fairness and natural justice could be more easily overridden by the bill..
Further Information
Get more info on 'Immigration To New Zealand'.
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