Off the wire
• China's largest bank ICBC opens new branch in Brisbane, Australia  • Canadian stocks rise as central bank expects interest rates to remain low  • S.Korea worries about further nuke, missile provocations from DPRK  • WTA results  • Chinese, Australian arrivals drive record New Zealand visitor numbers  • UNDP, WWF Netherlands to support environment protection in Cuba  • Cuba, Czech Republic sign MoU for cooperation, political consultations  • Aussie zoo celebrates birth of 2nd litter of meerkat pups  • Spotlight: Europe sees intensified resistance to trade deals with U.S., Canada  • Global conservation group to launch latest anti-whaling effort from Australia  
You are here: 　 Home

Record migrant numbers fuel New Zealand immigration row

Xinhua, September 21, 2016 Adjust font size:

New Zealand's annual net gain of migrants equalled the existing record in the year ending August, provoking renewed protests that the country is struggling to cope with the new arrivals.

The annual net gain --the number of arrivals minus departures -- of migrants was 69,100 in the August year, which equalled the record set in the June 2016 year, the government statistics agency said Wednesday.

The number was up 8,800 from the August 2015 year, according to a commentary from Statistics New Zealand.

Migrant arrivals numbered 125,000 in the August year -- up 6 percent year on year -- with returning New Zealand citizens accounting for a quarter of all migrant arrivals.

Migrant departures were 55,900 in the same period, with New Zealand citizens contributing 60 percent of all migrant departures.

The biggest rises in migrant arrivals by country of residence between the August 2015 and August 2016 years were in arrivals from South Africa (up 1,600 to 3,700), China (up 1,600 to 12,200), Australia (up 1,100 to 25,600).

The biggest fall was in arrivals from India, which were down 2,100 to 11,900.

About 39,600 migrants arrived on work visas, most of them from Britain, France, Germany and Australia.

Another 15,700 migrants entered on residence visas with most of them from China, Britain and Samoa.

The opposition New Zealand First party said the figures showed "economic policy at its most cynical," accusing Prime Minister John Key's government of using "a never-ending tide of mainly low-skilled immigrants" to depress wages and inflate consumption.

"The Key government know their reckless immigration is artificially inflating the economy to make them look good, while at the same time ordinary Kiwis must compete for jobs, housing and healthcare against this constant competition coming from overseas," New Zealand First leader Winston Peters said in a statement.

Economic forecasts, including those of the Reserve Bank of New Zealand, have regularly attributed New Zealand's economic growth to immigration among other factors.

A report from the independent New Zealand Institute of Economic Research last week said a surge in immigrants had prompted economists to revise up their growth forecasts to an annual average of 3.2 percent over the coming year.

The exceptionally strong population growth from the surge in net migration had underpinned continued strength in household spending, which was expected to remain strong, and boosted housing demand, it said. Endit