Two men believed to be illegal immigrants, who were found after a raid on a house in Papamoa, are being held in police custody and may face deportation.
The two Bangladeshis, aged 40 and 41, were taken from a home on Papamoa Beach Rd on Tuesday night.
The men had been working
in the kiwifruit industry and living in the house.
A Labour Department spokesperson yesterday confirmed the two were found after Immigration New Zealand received a tip-off.
The pair entered New Zealand through Auckland International Airport in 2003, and had spent most of their time since then in the Bay of Plenty area.
The spokesperson said the employer of the two men may not have checked their immigration status.
Employers were obliged to check foreign nationals were entitled to work in New Zealand, by asking to see their work or residence permits.
Action against the employer was a possibility, and could include a formal warning and follow-up audit, or prosecution.
The two men had not given any reason why they came into New Zealand illegally, or said how long they planned to stay for.
They were being held in police custody while Immigration New Zealand assessed their case, including whether to remove them from the country.
Kiwifruit Contractors Association president Matt Johnson said illegal immigrants seeking work was a problem for the industry. "It's reasonably common ... We're trying to clean it up from the inside out."
Mr Johnson said more compliance checks could help crack down on illegal workers, but keeping tabs on them was a difficult task.
"It's really hard to keep a track on where guys are."
He said the best way growers could ensure they weren't hiring illegal labour was to keep a closer eye on their workforce.
"Growers really need to get themselves among the workforce if they can, I know it's very difficult to do."
In an unrelated matter, a Fijian man also thought to be an illegal overstayer was caught by police in Te Puke yesterday morning.
