UnitedFuture welcomes immigration changes – Dunne

UnitedFuture leader, Hon Peter Dunne, has today welcomed the signalled relaxation of the Government's immigration proposals.

"I welcome the news, this shows that the Government has listened to the needs to New Zealand and responded to allow a better diversity of skills and jobs to be matched through our immigration system and add value to New Zealand.

"It is heartening to see that the baseless fearmongering of some quarters over immigration has been rejected.

"The notion that immigration is undermining the way of life in New Zealand is false and is being unjustly used as a cynical political ploy in some quarters,” said Mr Dunne.

"In a time of record migration we have seen a period of low inflation and interest rates, increasing incomes and employment and one of the strongest periods of growth for New Zealand in the modern era.

"There is always more work that can be done to build a better tomorrow for New Zealand, but this does not require us to unfairly target migrants to gain political points.

“We can focus more on how we invest into infrastructure.

“We can be more innovative about how building more houses and open avenues for ownership.

"We can also be smarter about immigration without putting the lives of new migrants in or planning to come to New Zealand at risk" said Mr Dunne

UnitedFuture has proposed four changes to our current immigration system:

1. Ten Year Population Strategy
UnitedFuture would introduce a 10 year population strategy that would require the government to publish a strategy mapping the impact of demographic changes on our society and economy.
2. Ensuring that the immigration system is employment driven
UnitedFuture would guarantee a fast-track for residency for those immigrants who are sponsored by an employer in a field on the skill shortage register. This would allow employers who are unable to find employees to easily sponsor someone into work and would be in addition to the current skills shortage lists.
3. Family Reunification
UnitedFuture would seek to strengthen family reunification in our immigration system by guaranteeing a fast-track to residency for a migrant who has a majority of their immediate family in New Zealand who are willing to sponsor that person and demonstrate the ability to support them
4. Support for new Migrants:
UnitedFuture would introduce new programmes that ensure adequate support and information is provided to new migrants. Including:
• Designing a comprehensive immigrant settlement programme to ensure all immigrants receive full information and support regarding language, community events, job placements and social services
• Develop a global online service that matches skilled migrants with job opportunities within regional New Zealand
• Establish a one-stop business development agency that helps migrants in establishing their own businesses
"UnitedFuture’s policies will deliver an immigration service that refutes the notion of closing New Zealand off to the world, it allows people to bring their skills, their innovation and their productivity to New Zealand so that we can be a diverse and productive multi-cultural society,” Mr Dunne concluded.
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