Migrants feeling used, abused
Going by the growing numbers of Covid-19 Delta variant cases the dreaded Alert Level 4 lockdown will likely stay around for another couple of weeks at least in Auckland.
As we know, during Alert Level 4 lockdowns, it is only those employed in essential services can work to make sure that others can manage their lockdown easily. Only those businesses that are essential to the provision of the necessities of life and those businesses that support them are operational and those employed by them continue to work ––be it supermarkets, gas stations, health care centres or pharmacies to name a few.
We know that most of the businesses in New Zealand employ migrants and are heavily dependent on them for their seamless operations. It is also not a hidden fact that during lockdowns we have seen migrants working at the forefront with even the government acknowledging their efforts during last year’s lockdowns.
However, with no clear pathway to residency coupled with delays in the processing of thousands of work visa applications, migrants, especially essential service workers, have now started feeling used by the government and especially by Immigration New Zealand.
One of such Essential Skills migrant workers is Harnoor who has a job offer to work as Clinical Engineering Technician by Counties Manukau District Health Board. She had put in her work visa in June and is currently on an interim visa and hence is unable to work for her employer.
Sharing her frustration, Ms Harnoor says, “I am an essential worker and want to work during lockdown so that I serve the community. My employer also wants me to work. But it is just the delays by Immigration that has put me in this position that I am sitting idle at home and just waiting for my visa. I feel immigration should prioritise the application of essential services workers. I feel so frustrated.”
Sailing in the same boat is Prince, an essential worker who has applied for his work visa through Progressive (owners of Countdown supermarkets) is still waiting for the decision by Immigration New Zealand.
He says, “I had worked so hard during the last lockdown. I am ready to work even this time. But it is the delay by Immigration New Zealand that is not letting me work. I feel so used. While we have the government appreciating the essential workers for their services during the lockdown, on the other hand, we have Immigration New Zealand, their own department, which is causing delays in issuing visas and hence not letting an essential worker like me work.”
Jitan Bakshi, who applied for a visa to get a variation of condition effected so that he could work for another employer waited for two months for a decision by Immigration New Zealand and eventually decided to withdraw his application. “I feel Immigration is deliberately delaying the application that is causing so much anxiety and stress to migrants like me. They don't seem to care about migrants and their future. I had resigned from my previous job as I hoped that I would get VOC in a couple of weeks. But that didn’t happen. I am not even eligible for wage subsidy as I am not currently employed. I have invested so much in this country, but I feel helpless with the kind of treatment given to migrants by the government. I do feel this country only wants to use migrants for its own good.”
Social media is rife with cascading stories of migrants who feel used in this situation. Sharing his story on Facebook, another migrant Tafsirul Islam Alif, writes, “Dear Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, I was an essential worker last year at the time of Lockdown, and this year again I am an part-time essential worker as I'm on student visa. When everything became normal last time, Immigration did not approve my Essential Skills Work Visa even after I applied from same company and for same position. Immigration officer emailed me saying – ‘There are New Zealand citizens or residents to do the work on offer’. Kind request to make sure that this not happen this time for others please. #immigration #work #jobs #government #newzeaIand (sic)”
Immigration experts are acknowledging the uncertainty that migrants are facing. Arunima Dhingra, Director, NZAMI (New Zealand Association of Migration & Investment) and CEO of Aims Global says, “Migrants are currently facing a very uncertain future in NZ. This has forced many highly skilled professionals to consider leaving the country, in what could be a mass exodus of the very skilled workers the country hopes to retain. And it’s not surprising.
“Many of these skilled workers arrived lawfully, thinking that they were working towards residency for themselves, and one day their families. However, the migrant-friendly options that many migrants based their immigration decisions on are now no longer available.
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Do you have your own story to share? Email editor@indianweekender.co.nz
Going by the growing numbers of Covid-19 Delta variant cases the dreaded Alert Level 4 lockdown will likely stay around for another couple of weeks at least in Auckland.
As we know, during Alert Level 4 lockdowns, it is only those employed in essential services can work to make sure that others can...
Going by the growing numbers of Covid-19 Delta variant cases the dreaded Alert Level 4 lockdown will likely stay around for another couple of weeks at least in Auckland.
As we know, during Alert Level 4 lockdowns, it is only those employed in essential services can work to make sure that others can manage their lockdown easily. Only those businesses that are essential to the provision of the necessities of life and those businesses that support them are operational and those employed by them continue to work ––be it supermarkets, gas stations, health care centres or pharmacies to name a few.
We know that most of the businesses in New Zealand employ migrants and are heavily dependent on them for their seamless operations. It is also not a hidden fact that during lockdowns we have seen migrants working at the forefront with even the government acknowledging their efforts during last year’s lockdowns.
However, with no clear pathway to residency coupled with delays in the processing of thousands of work visa applications, migrants, especially essential service workers, have now started feeling used by the government and especially by Immigration New Zealand.
One of such Essential Skills migrant workers is Harnoor who has a job offer to work as Clinical Engineering Technician by Counties Manukau District Health Board. She had put in her work visa in June and is currently on an interim visa and hence is unable to work for her employer.
Sharing her frustration, Ms Harnoor says, “I am an essential worker and want to work during lockdown so that I serve the community. My employer also wants me to work. But it is just the delays by Immigration that has put me in this position that I am sitting idle at home and just waiting for my visa. I feel immigration should prioritise the application of essential services workers. I feel so frustrated.”
Sailing in the same boat is Prince, an essential worker who has applied for his work visa through Progressive (owners of Countdown supermarkets) is still waiting for the decision by Immigration New Zealand.
He says, “I had worked so hard during the last lockdown. I am ready to work even this time. But it is the delay by Immigration New Zealand that is not letting me work. I feel so used. While we have the government appreciating the essential workers for their services during the lockdown, on the other hand, we have Immigration New Zealand, their own department, which is causing delays in issuing visas and hence not letting an essential worker like me work.”
Jitan Bakshi, who applied for a visa to get a variation of condition effected so that he could work for another employer waited for two months for a decision by Immigration New Zealand and eventually decided to withdraw his application. “I feel Immigration is deliberately delaying the application that is causing so much anxiety and stress to migrants like me. They don't seem to care about migrants and their future. I had resigned from my previous job as I hoped that I would get VOC in a couple of weeks. But that didn’t happen. I am not even eligible for wage subsidy as I am not currently employed. I have invested so much in this country, but I feel helpless with the kind of treatment given to migrants by the government. I do feel this country only wants to use migrants for its own good.”
Social media is rife with cascading stories of migrants who feel used in this situation. Sharing his story on Facebook, another migrant Tafsirul Islam Alif, writes, “Dear Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, I was an essential worker last year at the time of Lockdown, and this year again I am an part-time essential worker as I'm on student visa. When everything became normal last time, Immigration did not approve my Essential Skills Work Visa even after I applied from same company and for same position. Immigration officer emailed me saying – ‘There are New Zealand citizens or residents to do the work on offer’. Kind request to make sure that this not happen this time for others please. #immigration #work #jobs #government #newzeaIand (sic)”
Immigration experts are acknowledging the uncertainty that migrants are facing. Arunima Dhingra, Director, NZAMI (New Zealand Association of Migration & Investment) and CEO of Aims Global says, “Migrants are currently facing a very uncertain future in NZ. This has forced many highly skilled professionals to consider leaving the country, in what could be a mass exodus of the very skilled workers the country hopes to retain. And it’s not surprising.
“Many of these skilled workers arrived lawfully, thinking that they were working towards residency for themselves, and one day their families. However, the migrant-friendly options that many migrants based their immigration decisions on are now no longer available.
--
Do you have your own story to share? Email editor@indianweekender.co.nz
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