Latest news with #Immigration(FiscalSustainabilityandSystemIntegrity)AmendmentBill
RNZ News
6 days ago
- Politics
- RNZ News
Submissions for bill criminalising migrant exploitation set to close
Several high-profile cases of migrant exploitation have been uncovered in Auckland in recent years. Photo: RNZ / Blessen Tom Public submissions for a bill that seeks to criminalise migrant exploitation close on Monday. Immigration Minister Erica Stanford introduced the Immigration (Fiscal Sustainability and System Integrity) Amendment Bill on 7 April, proposing several amendments relating to offences, penalties and proceedings, among others. The bill passed its first reading on 24 June and was referred to the Education and Workforce Select Committee. Introducing the bill in Parliament, Stanford outlined 10 amendments the bill sought to make in the Immigration Act 2009, noting its focus on tackling migrant exploitation. "The bill addresses a gap in New Zealand's migrant exploitation settings by creating a new offence, which is to knowingly seek or receive a monetary premium for an offer of employment," Stanford said. "Charging premiums for employment is an increasing form of migrant exploitation and it causes real harm. Often premiums are in the realm of tens of thousands of dollars," she said. "Currently, the legislation does not cover premiums that are paid before the employment commences, premiums that are made offshore, or situations where a premium is sought or received by someone other than the employer," she said. "This change makes it even clearer that this behaviour is not tolerated in New Zealand. It will enable us to prosecute more instances of migrant exploitation and hold exploitative behaviour to account." The bill proposes inserting a new section in the Immigration Act 2009 that creates a new offence. "It will be an offence for an employment-related person to knowingly seek or receive a premium in respect of the employment or potential employment in New Zealand of a victim," the draft bill reads. "New section 351A(1) applies before the victim starts work in New Zealand and whether or not they actually start work in New Zealand." Under the proposed section, a person is defined as a victim if they are domiciled in New Zealand or based overseas and fall within the category of an unlawful worker, a temporary entry class visa holder, a potential temporary entry class visa holder or a potential residence class visa holder. If approved, section 351A would make it an offence to charge premiums for employment, irrespective of whether a worker has started employment. At present, the offence only captures situations in which people are actively working in New Zealand and where the employer is the one charging the premium. The proposed bill widens the scope to include a potential employer, agent or any person involved in the recruitment of a victim. The penalty for the new offence will be imprisonment for a term not exceeding seven years, a fine not exceeding $100,000 or both. Arunjeev Singh, general secretary of the New Zealand Forum for Immigration Professionals, criticised some of the bill's content, arguing it gave "unfettered power" to immigration officers and went beyond the relationship of an employer and employee. Other immigration advisors told RNZ they questioned whether such legislation could be enforced in another jurisdiction if passed into law.
Scoop
26-06-2025
- Politics
- Scoop
Public Submissions Open On The Immigration (Fiscal Sustainability And System Integrity) Amendment Bill
The Deputy Chairperson of the Education and Workforce Committee is calling for public submissions on the Immigration (Fiscal Sustainability and System Integrity) Amendment Bill. This bill proposes changes to the Immigration Act 2009. If enacted this bill would amend the fiscal sustainability and integrity of the New Zealand immigration system. The fiscal sustainability amendments would expand the classes of people to whom immigration levies can be charged. The Bill would also allow these levies to be spent on specified costs outside the immigration system, such as education or healthcare. System integrity amendments would include: changing the definition of mass arrivals to reflect trends in international people smuggling re-establishing flexible responses that allow special directions to be made under unusual circumstances clarifying existing provisions and introducing a new Ministerial power regarding residence class visas improving the system's responsiveness to human rights and civil liberty concerns. Make a submission on the bill by 11.59pm on Monday 28 July 2025.
Scoop
24-06-2025
- Politics
- Scoop
Strengthening Integrity Of Immigration System
Minister of Immigration The Government is taking another step to strengthen the fiscal sustainability and integrity of the immigration system following the successful first reading of the Immigration (Fiscal Sustainability and System Integrity) Amendment Bill. 'Our immigration system needs to be smart, responsive and flexible to keep pace with the changing geopolitical context. The changes proposed will help ensure our settings appropriately respond to risk and are sustainable,' Immigration Minister Erica Stanford says. 'The Bill introduces appropriate safeguards in the system for vulnerable people and implements legislative recommendations from two independent King's Counsel (KC) reviews of the immigration system. It also offers pragmatic updates to keep the Act current and support efficient visa processing.' Changes include: Introducing appropriate safeguards in the system for vulnerable people, including refugees and protection claimants, as recommended in the 2022 Victoria Casey review. Introducing a requirement for a judicial warrant for any 'out-of-hours' compliance activity, as recommended in the 2023 Micheal Heron review. Tightening some settings so that more instances of migrant exploitation can be prosecuted, and strengthening consequences for residence class visa holders who commit criminal offences. Ensuring the system is flexible to respond to unusual events, such as natural disasters. Other changes, such as the options to expand the immigration levy payer base and create a new immigration levy in the future, will enable a greater sharing of the costs of the immigration, although there is no intent to implement these changes this year. 'These sensible and timely changes will help futureproof the immigration system, and better balance the integrity of the immigration system with the rights of individuals,' Ms Stanford says.
