Watch on migrants

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33423, 3 January 1974, Page 1

Watch on migrants

Trends in immigration from European countries, particularly Britain and the Netherlands, are being studied in light of worsening ecnonmies there to ensure that any increase in the number of mimmigrants does not cause social or economic upset in New Zealand.

The Minister of Immigration (Mr Colman) said that the Government was aware of the situation overseas and the present study would form part of a review of New Zealand’s immigration policy.

His comments were in a telegram sent to the Canterbury Trades Council in reply to the council’s call for an

urgent review of immigration in view of a recent report that 71,800 inquiries had been made by would-be immigrants in England and the Netherlands.

The report came at a time when New Zealand had a question mark of its own as to its economic future, the council said. “Extreme caution” “It is a dangerous position to allow any migrants at all into this country in the next few months until world and local economic conditions are clarified. Extreme caution should be exercised by the holding up of migration unless job opportunities, homes, and education facilities can be guaranteed,” it said.

Mr Colman said that a close examination would be made of any increase in appli-

cations from would-be immigrants. "The Government is conscious of the need to absorb immigrants without social or economic upset,” he said. The secretary of the council (Mr G. G. Walker) said that the Minister’s reply became crucial in view of a report yesterday that 640,000 workers in Britain were seeking unemployment relief. “It is hoped the examination and review to which the Minister referred is treated as urgent, as this lastest report makes it obvious that our first approach to the Minister was well-founded,” he said.

The council’s approach and the Minister’s reply would be “at the top of the agenda” at the next meeting of the council, Mr Walker said.