51,000 new residents

The Government admitted 130,000 temporary workers and just over 51,000 new residents into the country in the past year.

Immigration Minister David Cunliffe said 51,236 new residents came in the June year.

Nearly 32,000 of these people were skilled and business migrants.

The minister last week raised the target for new residents to 52,000 a year.

Mr Cunliffe also said the number of people working temporarily in New Zealand had increased from 71,484 in 2001-02 to 132,360 in the 2005-06 year.

- NZPA