Migrant exploitation in New Zealand is rife - Human Rights Commission | Q+A 2024

A new report by the Human Rights Commission has exposed the extent to which migrant exploitation resulted from the Accredited Employer Work Visa scheme. Saunoamaali’i Karanina Sumeo calls for the Government to make urgent changes, including ending visa schemes that tie workers to a single employer.
The outgoing Equal Employment Opportunities Commissioner also reflects on the Commission's role in the future.
Join Jack Tame and the Q+A team and find the answers to the questions that matter. Made with the support of NZ on Air.

[@christinatay832]

An excellent kōrero. I really appreciate the sound wisdom and courageous views being shared by Saunoamaali’i Karanina Sumeo.

[@dpp186]

ABSOLUTELY 💯

[@MiniLenaG]

I am so sorry for those ppl but govt need to look after kiwi first. We have so much problems at the moment. Why need to help someone else while your own people are struggling. Their countries can pick them (bills) up and take home. If nz has plenty of money. Sure.. But now we have so many unemployed.

[@TheMarathonomahos]

I thought they were immigrants. Migrants would be people who have left the country, not come into the country. But why can people come here without having a sound understanding of English in the first place? Comprehension is so important to not being taken for a ride in the first place.

[@jemma_19988]

I would go further!! If New Zealand prides itself on being corruption free why invite migrants from highly corrupt countries? Corruption is not a Kiwi value so why are we making it one ?

[@L9MN4sTCUk]

immigrants arrive to stay, emigrants leave and don't come back, migrants come and go. In this context temporary workers from overseas are migrants because they arrive then eventually leave.

[@jacobwinn2765]

@@TheMarathonomahos migrant is the catch-all term for anyone moving countries. Immigrants are those that have come in, emigrants are those that have left.

[@mandipsingh2589]

Finally, someone understands what exploitation is

[@jemma_19988]

The number one reason for unaffordable housing,slow wage growth,child poverty,homelessness and rising corruption is New Zealands' addiction to mass immigration of low skill workers from nations that perform poorly on global corruption rankings. Most developed nations target desirable highly skilled migrants we attract the desperate

[@CLove-mo7cc]

Migration is not the number 1 cause of most of those issues, contributing sure but not number 1

[@florantinamaiava6870]

​@CLove-mo7cc may not be but this is the focus of this korero🤦‍♀️

[@florantinamaiava6870]

Tell that to Luxton

[@redlanka2504]

Even if we come with doctorates or have experience in banking real estate we won't be able to get neither jobs nor accommodation, why nz dnt u want us to contribute..

[@jemma_19988]

@@redlanka2504 True but NZ does not need any more bankers and certainly no real estate agents we need engineers etc

[@DossNZ]

Someone screwed these people and it wasn't the tax payer. I am totally against the tax payer picking up the bill. If we do, word gets around, they'll keep coming.

[@jacobwinn2765]

Fancy that, importing thousands upon thousands of people from low-trust societies and cultures has negatively affected both us and our social cohesion. Who woulda thunk it?

[@jemma_19988]

We need to attract people with similar attitudes to corruption as us!! India ,Philippines, and China generally do not produce those people!!

[@Davo-i1s]

Heres a suggestion rather than the NZ government worrying about crticism from this mob put more effort into fixing the things that are causing kiwis to leave right now. Its got to be better working on the reason why you need to bring in so many skilled and unskilled immigrants than trying to fix the damage that it causes. Unfortunately you are not going to remain a safe and harmonious country if you keep importing people from certain parts of the world at the rate that you are as they will not assimilate especially if there is no requirement for them to speak or even understand basic English. As an Aussie I am also sick of NZ being used as a back door because its easier to get in there than it is to Australia. We have enough problems being caused by excessive numbers of immigrants arriving here without having to worry about that avenue as well.

[@inkod9424]

The sad truth is, the ones who are exploiting these migrants are ppl from their community themselves. E.g asian business owners. Business owners who once came here as migrant workers themselves

[@sweetascuzz]

Labour have caused all the division

[@calledmaster1]

In some jobs they pay rse workers more than the permanent workers nearly paid them more than workers that are looking after them and organizing them so how about looking after kiwi workers

[@matthoward9860]

If it's horticulture you are talking about. The Rse workers get paid contract rate. So pre bin or pre tree. If someone picks more bins or thins more trees than someone else they make more money. The rses work pretty hard and earn that money. If kiwi workers go on contract rate they quite often are topped up. Just to make minimum wage because they don't hit contract rate. So the kiwis choose to work hourly. So yes Rse workers on contract will make more than someone working hourly.

[@NiahTunui]

Rse workers are guaranteed a minimum weekly wage of 40 hours equivalent pay per week not even locals who worked many years in the industry get that

[@calledmaster1]

People make out that there super hard workers but not all of them are so stop that shit they are treated better than the kiwi workers in the same industry they will get more hours in some cases 10% added on the minimum wage double time if work 7 days which is all the time we'll a more experienced kiwi worker who is faster by the way gets a flat minimum wage rate who can pick more per hour who will get denied to work the weekend who is not entitled to any double time so we are all sick of hearing that shit

[@calledmaster1]

Rse get better benefits than kiwi workers most times there on a higher rate than the permanent staff

[@matthoward9860]

@@NiahTunui its 30 hrs.

[@wakeupnewzealand69]

2023-2024 Migration officers left their jobs they were told by Immigration officials of Immigration NZ approval student, resident and work visa's on face value, accept those with criminal convictions, ignore warnings do not investigate attached documents. Approve in haste as fast as you can.. those who approved the most in one week had shout-outs those that were too slow and questioned officials were given warnings 152,000 provisional figure of approvals 2023-2024 Migrant workers on the ground was telling officials from INZ their real concerns they were ignored. Migrations officers left their jobs then went to RNZ where it was reported publicly in mainstream news Stuff NZ and RNZ. No-one taken to account. Nothing more said, Surely that is a national security list?? Mass Migration for all Western Nations... RESEARCHER: Cassie

[@Duckz558]

its the norm in most countries look at america uk now its a big backlash countries deporting immigrants but it was part of the globalist plan to cause chaos 1️⃣ big distraction keeping the focus off of whats really going on nwo digital everything mark of the beast🎉

[@fl7907]

Migrant workers are needed in NZ, without these workers NZ's economy will die. NZ has relied on migrants in the past to help build NZ & always will.

[@nostoneunturned7181]

Not if Kiwis can start having families again.

[@fl7907]

​@nostoneunturned7181 that is a possibility, but is it realistic based on the current environment. This appears to be a Western World issue that needs a long term solution by consecutive govts of NZ. Population growth within NZ should be encouraged by government, and should create an environment that supports families through forward thinking policies. That's my 2cents.

[@NiahTunui]

With sky high rent and cost of living it's beyond stupid to flood nz with mass migration. People have to wait weeks just to see a doctor born dentist, our infrastructure is totally overloaded

[@dwee3005]

​@@nostoneunturned7181that would only solve the problem in 18-22 years. What should happen in the meantime?

[@jemma_19988]

New Zealand experienced the highest rise in wages in twenty years when lockdown prevented migrants from coming in and many had to leave!! Employers had to offer more pay to attract workers. For the first time in a while many lower wage kiwis experienced having disposable income!! Employers put on big sob stories of course but the economy did OK because just like in the good old days when you have spare money to spend retail does well which it certainly did back then. Economists crapped on rising wages and inflation but rising wages means more have spending money rather than just a few rich types

[@fosterprice5690]

Be aware that Tame always seems to have an "agenda" even if it's not apparent. I once thought he might be trustworthy but after his disgraceful interview with Nicole McKee on subject I have specialist knowledge in, I realized he was spouting deliberate lies, with no interest in informing the public of the key issues in a story.

[@LuanaDyck]

And then theres the disaster of Darlene Tana....

[@kareh6976]

For sure, I wonder if she's moving to Denmark where her hubby waits hmm. . .probably not, now Denmark is being invaded by the very people Tana and hubby exploited.

[@dpp186]

Bravery topic with good intentions.. This types of positive attitude is basic values of any nations.

[@Andrew-g2l]

This lady is the biggest waste of tax payers money. I was permanently injuryed by Quinn's pharmacy gore. Life long injury's. Because I was renovating my house at the time Acc said I was not a potential earner. It has cost me over 90,000. Because in nz we can not sue for compensation. I had no income to seek treatment or live in dignity That law is illegal because it is a clear breach of our human. Rights. I emailed this lady they said they didn't have enough staff to deal with it. I cc emailed her with my fight with Acc. She ( banned )me for emailing her and her staff for two months. This lady is a waste if space government mouth piece. Who is in breach of all of our human rights. Anyone who does not take action against agencies that breach your human rights should be locked up. This lady is the problem and is the reason as to why our human right are breached.

[@tauiraclay4235]

Really sad situation you had to face. Being told staff shortage is not an excuse, being vulnerable your suppose to ask for help...thank you for sharing ❤

[@florantinamaiava6870]

Hahahahaahahahaa you try doing her job

[@florantinamaiava6870]

😂😂😂😂 Andrew blame the government not those who are directed to focus on a certain scope of relevance🤦‍♀️

[@Andrew-g2l]

@@florantinamaiava6870 what a load of crap this lady is the commissioner of our human rights. It is her given duty to make sure our human rights are implement for I.e When she is made aware of Acc abuse and neglecting of clamants she by law must take action in my case and many other she and others simply turned a blind eye she has allowed the people who cause the abuse and neglect to continue to do so by doing nothing. It's people like you and her and others that allowed for the 200,000 people to be abused neglected harmed injured in state care because someone like you past the buck. Acc are playing the same game with the help of this lady doing nothing. 200,000 Acc claimants harmed by Acc 2017 Dunedin Acc report. We have the largest rates of medical malpractice higher than UK USA and Australia we can still can not take court action for justice against these cow boys of the medical industry for life long permanent injury's. The government has taken our human rights away made us deal with Acc who abuse and neglect,harm you and in my case give you nothing for permanent injurys that will most likely shortern my life. This lady is a total waste of space she should be ashamed of herself. She is like parent who watches there partner abuse their family and does nothing. She is in effect an enabler. This country has a shocking reputation for abusing neglecting harming and injuring their population and doing nothing about it. They are in effect enablers they are no better than someone that harms or injurys neglect or abuse.

[@julietvargas507]

I came to seek legal job but not all employer are AEWV. I am very much qualified on the job but they have hard time to hire migrants.

[@chrisrutherfurd9338]

Why don't you interview the former Green MP who exploited migrant labour? Wrong side of the political fence??

[@dpp186]

ABSOLUTELY 💯

[@SimoneMcAllister-l3h]

Because they learnt from the white devils who started this exploitation. That's why

[@raywheeler3135]

Why do you think that she wasn't invited to do an interview? Maybe she refused for obvious reasons.

[@florantinamaiava6870]

​@raywheeler3135 keeping in mind there are guidelines and regulations they need to follow to speak or not to speak.

[@jemma_19988]

Green party that rarely nowadays talks about saving whales cos there are carvings to be made

[@LaughableSynonyms]

Its not on INZ to make Migrants aware of risk. It's their own country/countries marketing NZ as the Britain of the South, especially in Asia. Yes we do what we can, a lot of things are constantly improved. End of day, the onus is on the client.

[@marcusclouth9958]

Jake shut up.

[@Lexx793]

Lmao what tenant can you get from these 3rd world countries? If it looks fishy , it probably is …

[@EdmanDontace]

why are we paying for something that happened at there end before thy left .. so thy were coned by there own people and expect kiwis not maori to pay for them

[@saregama-r8td]

Do you have a job?

[@Duckz558]

so you saying only pakeha are taxpayers?bs

[@EdmanDontace]

@@Duckz558 the blacks only pay 17% tax

[@LaughableSynonyms]

Tarded comment. Taxpayers dont pay for migration fees. Thats purely subtracted from INZ visa and application fees.

[@EdmanDontace]

@@LaughableSynonyms you must think i care what you think i dont

[@calledmaster1]

It's to a point now that they pay migrant workers more than the permanent kiwi staff so it's unfair on kiwi workers

[@matthoward9860]

In horticulture you often get paid contract rate. Per bin or per tree. So if you pick more bins or thin more trees than someone else. You make more money than them.

[@jemma_19988]

They do in theory but in practise most migrant employers use loopholes like holding passports paying in cash etc

[@eileencoulter6263]

Maybe if their own people dident exploit their people and pay them what they worked for its your own people that is doing this ,wherez the green mp you should of interviewed her

[@wakeupnewzealand69]

Human Rights Commission - Rights for some but not the majority

[@Sam-wn5qp]

Its corrupt agency and they are never answering calls

[@ksj1526]

Current NZ legislation exempts immigrants from being protected by nz law for human rights purpose. This law must be changed!