Minister of Ethnic Affairs Peseta Sam Lotu-Iiga said that it was the collective responsibility of the concerned authorities, the New Zealand community, and new migrants to ensure that issues such as the recent immigration scam are avoided in the future.
While addressing the public meeting organised by National MP Kanwaljit Singh Bakshi in South Auckland on September 19, the minister also assured the attendees that the government is pro-actively working on improving the law and order in South Auckland, but changes won’t happen overnight.
However, the rising crime rate in South Auckland continues to bother not only residents but also a large number of retailers who are both upset and reluctant to report.
Attendees at the meeting
“I have a shoe store in Manukau Supa Centa, and after school, many teenagers come for window shopping. Sometimes I catch them and sometimes I realise a few items are missing. The police just note the complaints and do nothing,” said a retailer at the meeting.
Outdoor facilities for schoolgoing teenagers, more medical personnel and amenities, and unemployment were some of the other concerns voiced by the community members present at the meeting.
“We need community centres or programmes that are designed for schoolgoing teenagers, as they have nothing to do after school hours. This is one of the prime reasons why these young idle minds take the adverse routes of burglaries and shoplifting,” said a Pacific Island community representative.
When the minister responded that there are playgrounds and a library in the Mangere region, the community representative replied that "not all students like to play rugby or sit in the library, there should be diverse activities arranged so that they are engaged and do not wander".
Another issue for residents is that they do not get proper medical facilities in the hospital.
“There is a scarcity of doctors and medical practitioners, and there has to be more multilingual staffs so as to understand the patients,” said Narinder Singla, who is also contesting in the local board and district health board elections.
A migrant doctor voicing his concern to the MP Kanwaljit Bakshi
A group of migrant doctors new to the country complained of not getting jobs or even being called for an interview despite good qualifications. They added that even if there were vacancies, the positions were filled by doctors from European countries and the UK.
Talking about South Auckland’s development, Lotu-liga said, “... out of $20b allotted for Auckland’s development $12b is invested in South Auckland alone.” He added that soon a company (name yet to be disclosed) would establish a call centre in South Auckland, train, and employ 800 people that will boom jobs in the area.