New Zealand visa scheme for Pacific Islanders a triple win

New Zealand, 9th December: The new seasonal employer scheme for Pacific workers is a triple win for the workers, industries and the economy as well.

This has been revealed by the findings of a latest research by University of Waikato.

The study maintains that the RSE (Recognized Seasonal Employer) program is increasing the household income in the native nations of the migrants by around 40 percent. Moreover, the scheme also resulted in several improvisations in the homes of the migrants and led them to open a bank account.

A total of up to 8000 migrants come to New Zealand every year under the RSE scheme of New Zealand and most of them hail from Pacific countries. And around 75 percent of Pacific Island migrants are from Vanuatu and Tonga, the research indicates.

The RSE program also helped in increasing the attendance in secondary schools in Tonga from households of an RSE worker.

The seasonal employer scheme provides required number of migrant workers to viticulture and the horticulture sector of New Zealand after the required New Zealanders are not available for such jobs.   

According to Jonathan Coleman, the New Zealand Immigration Minister, the research revealed major benefits of the RSE program for Pacific nations.

Nigel Bickle, Head of Immigration New Zealand stated that the RSE program aims to create consistent supply of workforce in case no New Zealanders are ready to undertake such employment. He maintained that the seasonal work program of New Zealand also extends an opportunity to the Pacific Islanders to make contributions to their economy, get knowledge and work experience which might not be available in their native nations.

The study provides sufficient proof of the fact that migration happens to be among the best ways to increase development in poor nations, stated Dr. David McKenzie of the World Bank and Professor John Gibson of Waikato Management School.

The RSE scheme had very less rates of overstaying by the migrant workers and brought significant improvements in the productivity levels for the growers hiring such workers, both the experts added.
Hence, more nations should come forward in adopting seasonal worker schemes, they asserted.