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Immigration continues at record levels in New Zealand

Xinhua, January 31, 2017 Adjust font size:

A record number of arrivals drove New Zealand's new migrant numbers to an annual high last year, the government statistics agency said Tuesday.

A record 70,600 more migrants arrived in New Zealand than left in 2016, surpassing the previous annual record set in November 2016.

The net gain reflected an increasing number of people arriving and fewer leaving to live overseas.

"The increase in migrant arrivals was driven by an increase in people arriving with work visas," population statistics manager Jo-Anne Skinner said in a statement.

"This more than offset a decrease in student arrivals in 2016."

Migrant arrivals hit an annual record of 127,300 last year, while migrant departures were 56,700.

In October last year, the government cut the overall number of residence approvals for the next two years from 90,000-100,000 down to 85,000-95,000, amid an ongoing debate over whether the country's infrastructure and public services were coping with the record arrivals. Endit