Imran Ali: More focus on at-risk workers

Workplace corruption and exploitation of vulnerable workers are sullying the reputation of this beautiful country.

Without sounding discriminatory, Immigration NZ should for a start focus on Indian students because of their proliferation at educational institutions and more notably in business schools in Auckland - some of which came under the spotlight of NZQA not long ago.

Indian students have an infatuation with business courses as they are simple to undertake.

Another reason - or a false sense of hope, dare I say - is that the courses are being falsely promised as an automatic pathway to New Zealand residency by dubious education agents in India.

I have met a few Indian nationals in Whangarei who fell into that trap and are now seeking alternative courses to boost their chances of permanent residency.

Unable to gain any traction on the immigration or employment front, they then fall prey to employers - mostly their compatriots - who exploit them at pay rates that beggar belief.

An Indian-owned Auckland restaurant was last year found to have paid its workers, also from India, a paltry $2.64 an hour.

The business owners received home detention for treating their staff like slaves.

Immigration NZ also needs to put into place measures to penalise foreign students who agree to work in conditions that are in breach of labour and immigration laws.

Those who allow themselves to be exploited don't deserve any sympathy.

Unsurprisingly, those being exploited come from countries with various levels of poverty, such as India and Fiji, and they will try every means possible not to return to those conditions.

If the Government is not prepared to stop the flood of migrants settling predominantly in the City of Sails and ever-rising student numbers it should be prepared to deal with both the exploiters and the exploited.

More oversight of employers, regular inspections and raids, stiffer penalties, and controlled migration and issuance of student visas are inevitable.

-Imran Ali is a Fijian-born Northern Advocate journalist.