The holiday season is imminent; it just came upon us like a quiet train full of passengers’ ready to disembark. Similarly, the revised immigration instructions salary changes took a similar trend. It could mean that some current temporary workers would no longer qualify for a subsequent work visa under the Essential Skills Visa Category and others would not qualify for this visa.

This, one may say is a contributory factor to the much talked about dreaded “cut” to the immigration numbers. The potential impact will be great to those affected. Those that understand the consequences of such an announcement and are impacted by it will most likely have a downcast Christmas.

The cut-off date is 15th January 2018. One has to be mindful that this period covers the Christmas break and the now Immigration New Zealand counter-less environment, so any applications will have to be completed as per the criteria and couriered much before this date to ensure delivery before 15th January 2018.

The changes are an increase of about $1.00 or thereabouts per hour across the board. Some may not see it as much but for others it will make a world of difference between whether they qualify or not.

2017 can be summarised as the year for government policy of the day via changes in Immigration New Zealand policy for correction and curtailing of the numbers via certain categories. It is unclear exactly what 2018 will bring. It will be a wait and see game.

The labour-led coalition government has put fear into the masses affected that it will be gloom and doom because of the policy to cut down migrant numbers. That gloom and doom was a reality before it commenced government. The numbers we already down by approximately 30,000.

The reality is besides Auckland, New Zealand is needy of Human Resources as some parts of the country are empty. We have no choice but to attract labour from Auckland into these regions and if that is not successful then overseas recruitment and reliance on foreign labour becomes a necessity and a reality for activity.

Auckland as the cosmopolitanism city with its bright lights, diversity, opportunity and social networks, links and access to commodities and education institutions became the most attractive destination for the new migrant. Some have never been out of Auckland, the international flight landed there and they stayed.

Unfortunately, one may say for Auckland, the infrastructure could not cope with the overflow and the rapid increase that was contributed to by the increase in international student population and new migrants.

The focus was so much on increasing this pipeline that the custodians got blind-sided by the billion dollar export education industry. The infrastructure issue could not keep up with the obvious outcome from such an increase that being a burden on the roads, housing and all the usual issues that arise when there is an increasing population. The core relationship you would have thought is obvious but it did not appear to be hence the heated rental market, the roading and other infrastructure crisis but a buoyant economy according to the Gurus existed these issues did not take primary positioning. Somehow it was felt that the two could coexist in harmony.

The immigration response to the overcrowding issue is managing the Auckland issue and not a New Zealand issue because the greater New Zealand does not have issues as experienced by the Aucklanders. This being the case it would be another flaw to view it as a New Zealand issue.

In my humble view, you cannot go wrong if your driving force is well intended and flows with the universal flow. If your intention is to look after all your people to ensure their wellbeing on a day to day basis such as housing, food, medical care and so on including emotional and spiritual wellbeing then the basics are taken care of, we have a happy and fulfilled society. If this need is not met across the board and the gap is large, some have it and others do not then the lack kicks in this part of the society which gets stigmatised and eventually marginalised. Money through various means including export education cannot fix this problem, thus the problem has to be fixed by the custodians of the day.

We have to take care of our domestic affairs first. But we should not blame Immigration for our in-house localised issues because this cohort was used for local benefit, it was a commodity sold. They are not the ones to be blamed.

The focus has to be on forward thinking, planning, the core-relationships and an honest and ethical approach with any new immigrant coming in. That becomes the foundation of that relationship. Those values become part of that relationship, all parties know where they stand and it is an honest and transparent system that exist. If the foundation is such that they are not to be seen as a money-making machine then only do we have a chance of a relationship of integrity.

If this were to be the case I see a bright future for new migrants to New Zealand who will come with integrity and a good value system because the platform will be such at the outset. Remember these are our potential future New Zealanders.

The deception and misleading ways that have existed has personally been an unpleasant experience for me to witness: some young lives have been destroyed for life, as deportees they are banned from most international countries with information data sharing, some have returned with mediocre qualification and ill equipped to survive in a highly competitive market and some have returned with large debts and shame. Our billion dollar export education system allowed a story to be told that led to this end.

Whether we like it or not, we - New Zealand – and our billion dollar education system, has been disconnected from taking any responsibility and is accountable for this sorry state of affairs. We cannot distance ourselves from this. This will be our karmic legacy in this era.

I look forward to the end of this era. Let 2018 onwards bring a more ethical and integrity filled approach to Immigration in New Zealand.

We at Idesi Legal wish you a Merry Christmas and a fulfilling year ahead.

A milestone achieved, and a moving moment for Kamil being admitted to the Fiji High Court in a Special Ceremony in November. Wearing her father, Ravindra Nath’s robe who died when she a three month baby and she got to learn about in her teenage years.

Kamil Lakshman in the photo from left with moving counsel Mr Pravesh Sharma, Mr Jai Narayan (Jai Narayan College named after him in Suva, Fiji - Uncle(Dada)) and The Chief Justice of Fiji, His Honour Mr Anthony Gates after the admission ceremony.

Kamil now has a Fiji Practicing certificate to practice Law in Fiji.

With Regards,

Kamil R. Lakshman BA, Dip CM, MBA, LLB
Lawyer Principal l IDESI LEGAL LIMITED
IMMIGRATION AND REFUGEE LAW FIRM

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