Immigration barriers opened up

Press, 19 February 1986, Page 8

Immigration barriers opened up

PA Wellington New Zealand has opened up its immigration barriers, allowing in people with the required work skills from any country. The Minister of Immigration, Mr Burke, revealing the new policy yesterday, said the Government was■ not setting out to increase immigration. Migrant numbers would depend on the job market, he said at a press conference.

Immigration policy had previously favoured applicants from “traditional source countries,” which included Western Europe and North America.

Employers wanting skilled staff from other countries had had to get special approval. People from, developing or Third World countries could usually be considered only if there was no

demand for their skills in their home country, he said. “The emphasis will now be on the personal qualities of the individual migrant rather than whether they were from a so-called traditional source country.” Mr Burke .said longstanding arrangements with Australia, the Netherlands, and Western Samoa would continue, but the preferential list of other countries now disappeared completely./ “If people with skills, can slot into vacancies which cannot be filled here and which appear on •our occupational list they will be able to come,” he said. Mr Burke said the new policy, which would be implemented immediately, was part of the Government’s total review of immigration policy.