A large number of temporary workers who have been caught up on the wrong side of the New Zealand border, before the government closed its borders as a response to deal with Covid-19 global pandemic are complaining against the discrimination being meted out to them and appealing for more compassionate and reasonable support from the government.
The Indian Weekender has been inundated with requests from many such temporary workers who have been living and working in NZ from few years to decade and were visiting overseas when the covid-19 pandemic hit and their lives have been hit with tremendous uncertainty without any support or adequate information about their immediate and long term future.
Till recently, all those temporary workers now stranded overseas had a life in New Zealand with real jobs, homes, children going to schools and rents, car loans, bank loans to worry about like every other New Zealander.
Kulvir Kaur, with her five-month-old baby Avereen Kaur and husband Jagdeep Singh (Photos supplied)
Most of them were working towards getting permanent residency and negotiating with the immigration system while contributing to live, work and contribute to the NZ economy.
The covid-19 pandemic and the government’s seemingly lack of compassionate and rational response to their situation is threatening their entire future in the country after a massive investment of time, resources and skills in NZ's economy.
Not immediately allowed back in the country
The New Zealand border is currently closed to almost all travellers to help stop the spread of COVID-19. Only NZ citizens and residents returning to New Zealand are allowed to travel to New Zealand unfettered while a very few will be granted an exception by Immigration NZ on a case by case basis
This blanket ban has automatically made the situation of thousands of temporary workers who were caught outside borders, highly precarious as INZ is being extremely cautious in allowing any non-citizen or non-resident - NZ visa holders or otherwise - with permission to enter the country.
Currently, INZ is allowing people with one of the following critical purposes in New Zealand - Essential health workers or Other essential workers who are specifically agreed to by the New Zealand Government.
The Indian Weekender has already sought clarification from the Immigration NZ, and a response is awaited.
However, according to some rough estimates going round on social media as of today, INZ has received 3469 Expressions of interest (EOI) from people who believe they meet exceptions to the border closure. Of the 3157 EOIs so far only 639 meet the criteria and have been invited to apply.
This is leaving a vast number of NZ temporary workers without support and certainty for the future.
Filza Romaan, who has been living and working in Auckland for the last three years a major telecom provider after completing education earlier had already applied and been rejected thrice by INZ for an exception to travel back to NZ.
Syed Naseer and his wife Sana Samreen (Photos supplied)
“I have been living in NZ for almost three years and had to come to India to attend the funeral of my brother in law and visit my old parents. I had arrived on March 9, and my return flight was scheduled on April 1 which was cancelled due to border closure.”
“My work is deemed as essential services, but I am not being allowed to enter NZ as I do not qualify under strict “critical” guidelines by INZ,” Mr Romaan said.
A Kiwi-Indian couple Bhautik and Niyanta Patel told the Indian Weekender how their bills and rent continue to add-up in NZ while they are not allowed back in the country.
“We have rented a house in Auckland, and we are still paying rent of $530 every week, and on top of that, we have our investments like cars and savings etc.
“As of now we are really worried and can’t see any hope. It’s really the worst situation for us now,” Bhautik Patel said.
An equally exasperated Syed Naseer also shared his predicament as he travelled to India to visit his family and bring his wife along with him earlier last month but was stranded as the borders were shut down the same day he was supposed to fly back to New Zealand.
"I have an open work visa and live in New Zealand for the last five years working full time as a 'Checkout Supervisor' at supermarket Countdown in Grey Lynn, Auckland.
"I got married to my wife Sana Samreen in August last year, and my wife's partnership-based visa was approved on February 27 this year. I came to visit my family in India and was scheduled to fly on March 19 when we got the news that the border was closed," Syed Naseer told The Indian Weekender.
"I am stuck here paying weekly rent for my house in Auckland, other related bills there. My job and visa are both at stake now. I applied for an exception with INZ was haven't received a response from there, even two weeks after emailing them.
"We just hope PM considers the taxpayers like us and allow them back soon so we can lead a normal life back in New Zealand," Syed Naseer added.
No wage subsidy
Most of the stranded temporary workers with whom the Indian Weekender has spoken to are also missing out on the government’s wage subsidy.
Kulvir Kaur, who is stuck in India with her husband Jagdeep Singh and 5-month-old baby Avereen Kaur told the Indian Weekender that they are facing double whammy first losing money for their cancelled flights and then not getting any wage subsidy while their cost of living continues unabated back in NZ.
“We’re facing financial problem as our annual leaves are complete now and we have no income source as we are not getting any wage subsidy,” Mrs Kaur said.
Shubham Sharma (Photo Supplied)
No automatic visa extension for stranded temporary workers
However, the worst fear that complicates and enhances the worries of all such stranded temporary migrant workers is that INZ has not offered to automatically extend their visas under the Epidemic notice, unlike for those currently on-shore in the country.
Notably, the government’s Epidemic Management Notice relating to immigration matters came into effect on April 2, 2020, that automatically extended visas of all temporary workers in the country till September 25, 2020.
Unfortunately, those out of the country have not been offered any such assurance.
Shubham Sharma, a stranded temporary worker, told the Indian Weekender, “My visa is expiring on May 17, 2020, and I am in tremendous stress as I am not sure what will happen if I am not allowed to enter NZ before my current visa expires.
Gurpreet Singh, a trained social worker and a member of the First Union NZ who is currently stranded in India and has been trying to bring together all such stranded migrants on one platform told the Indian Weekender that they are requesting an urgent compassionate action from the government.
The list of the people that the Indian Weekender has spoken to and their miseries is long and endless - however - the common thread of their miseries is that they have been left out of the country without any support or assurance that the future they have been working so hard for a Kiwi way of life is in complete-jeopardy.
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