Ron Mark MP
New Zealand First Deputy Leader

21 September 2015

Record 60,000 migrants hitting kiwi job seekers

The “combo” of record migration at 60,000 a year and work rights for foreign students is hitting Kiwi job seekers hard, says New Zealand First.

“The lower-skilled job market is highly competitive as can be seen by the number of foreign workers in supermarkets and service stations and in the hospitality industry,” says Deputy Leader Ron Mark.

“At the same time, the Finance Minister Bill English admits immigration has kept wages down.

“That was the government’s intention, it is an age-old trick. It is exploiting foreign workers, particularly those from lower-waged economies, and unfair to Kiwis.

“Migrants will accept inferior working terms and conditions, and unscrupulous employers, both Kiwi and new employers from overseas, know this.

“Many foreign students, particularly from China and India, intend seeking permanent residence, and their student visa is the pathway, which Immigration Minister Michael Woodhouse admitted recently.

“We are not doing them any favours by increasing the numbers each month as many will now be struggling to get work.

“The decision to extend work rights to foreign students was not well thought through. We now have students trying to earn money in New Zealand to pay their costs, when the whole point of the industry was to bring foreign money into New Zealand,” says Mr Mark.

ENDS

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