Authorities have claimed recent success in disrupting the illegal immigration activities of organised crime syndicates operating in New Zealand.
Steve Watson, general manager of Immigration Compliance and Investigations, said a multi-agency operation had investigated 38 companies over the past three months to ensure they were complying with their immigration and employment obligations.
As a result of the investigation, authorities had issued 14 infringement notices to companies employing staff in a manner that was inconsistent with a work-related condition of that person's visa, with a further two pending.
Officials had also issued 38 deportation liability notices for people unlawfully in New Zealand or breaching visa conditions.
Two people unlawfully in New Zealand had voluntarily left the country, officials said.
Immigration officials had cancelled 62 visas for people who were not currently in the country, while a further eight visas were cancelled at the border.
Eight passengers were offloaded from their flights to New Zealand, officials said.
Watson said the investigation was key to preventing further harm and vulnerable migrants being exploited by unscrupulous employers.
"Migrant workers need to be aware of those who may seek to exploit them," Watson said.
"If you are asked to pay large amounts of money to an offshore agent to travel and work in New Zealand, it is highly likely that this is part of a scam."
Watson said many of the groups had links to crime syndicates who exploited vulnerable migrants by using them to live in residential properties to set up sophisticated indoor cannabis growing systems.
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