Public submissions are set to close on Monday for bill that aims to crack down on migrant exploitation by criminalising the act of charging premiums for job offers, RNZ has reported.
The Immigration (Fiscal Sustainability and System Integrity) Amendment Bill, introduced by Immigration Minister Erica Stanford on April 7, outlines a range of proposed changes to the Immigration Act 2009, including new offences, penalties, and legal processes. The bill passed its first reading in Parliament on June 24 and was referred to the Education and Workforce Select Committee for review.
In her address to Parliament, Stanford said the bill includes ten key amendments, with a central focus on tackling migrant exploitation. She said the bill addresses a loophole in the current law by introducing a new offence: knowingly seeking or receiving a monetary premium for an offer of employment.
“Charging premiums for employment is an increasing form of migrant exploitation and it causes real harm,” RNZ quoted Stanford.
“Often premiums are in the realm of tens of thousands of dollars.”
She noted that the current legislation fails to cover premiums paid before employment begins, those made offshore, or cases where the demand comes from someone other than the employer. The proposed change, she said, would make it clearer that such practices are unacceptable in New Zealand.
According to the draft bill, the new offence would be inserted as section 351A of the Immigration Act, RNZ reported. It would criminalise the act of seeking or receiving premiums from individuals for employment or potential employment in New Zealand—regardless of whether the work actually begins. The provision would apply to "employment-related persons," including employers, agents, or recruiters.
Under the proposed law, a "victim" could include individuals currently in New Zealand or overseas who fall into several categories: unlawful workers, holders or potential holders of temporary entry class visas, or potential residence class visa holders.
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