More New Zealanders leaving for Britain

Press, 30 July 1986, Page 51

More New Zealanders leaving for Britain

From ROBIN CHARTERIS In London

Increasing numbers of New Zealanders are leaving the country to live in Britain.

A British Government survey shows that 13,000 New Zealanders arrived in Britain in the 12 months to June, 1985, intending to stay for a year or more, almost double the figure of 7000 for 1983-84.

At the same time, the number of long-term British visitors to New Zealand rose by only 2000 to 7000 in 1984-85. The figures, included in a report by Britain’s Office of Population Censuses and Surveys, are taken from the Office’s international passenger survey, which records the intentions of travellers passing through British ports and airports. They confirm the trend recorded in New Zealand statistics since 1984 of more New Zealanders moving to live in Britain than Britons moving to this country. For three years before then, British migrants had outnumbered their New Zealand counterparts, often quite considerably. In the year to March 31, 1981, there were 11,445 permanent and long-term migrants into

New Zealand recorded from Britian, compared with 9323 long-term departures from this country for Britain.

The imbalance peaked in 1982, when 12,290 British migrants arrived and 6888 New Zealanders departed.

In 1983, 10,599 migrants arrived from Britain, compared with 6311 New Zealand departures.

The New Zealand statistics for the March, 1984 year show that for the first time emigrants exceeded immigrants — 7617 people coming from Britain on long-term or permanent stay with 7812 leaving New Zealand for Britain for 12 months or more.

Now the British figures, for the year ended June 30, 1985, show the trend to be accelerating. The British figures, rounded off, are slightly different from those recorded by the New Zealand Department of Statistics., They show 5000 British long-term migrants to New Zealand in 1984 (New Zealand records 7617) and 7000 for 1985. Figures from New Zealand to Britain are shown as 7000 in 1984. New Zealand records 7812 and 13,000 for 1985. An immigration spokesman at the New Zealand High Commission in Lon-

don cautioned against reading to much into the figures. In the case of both countries they were based on arrival and departure cards filled out by passengers and were not always completely accurate.

The number of British migrants officially granted permanent entry, into New Zealand through New Zealand House immigration procedures in Britain for the March, 1985 year was 1649. For the 1984 year, it had been 3129, he said. The issue was complicated by the number of visitors from Britain who were granted a six-month visitor permit before departure and then given an automatic six-month extension while in New Zealand. It had probably always been their intention to stay for 12 months, and they might have indicated that on their passenger departure and arrival cards, the spokesman said.

He confirmed, however, that the recent trend of net migration gain into Britain rather than into New Zealand appeared to be increasing. In the early 19705, the net migration gain was In New Zealand’s favour, but it swung heavily back towards Britian between 1977 and 1980. The peak

then was reached in the 1978-79 year when 8928 Britons made long term entries into New Zealand compared with 15,992 New Zealanders into Britain.

The new British report also showed that the number of people coming into Britain permanently from South Africa more than trebled last year, reflecting the troubled situation there. Seven thousand British passport holders came in from South Africa between mid-1984 and mid--1985, compared with 2000 the previous year. The. report showed that for the first time since the office’s records began in 1964, more Britons returned home from overseas than left.

The number of foreign citizens coming to live permanently in Britian rose by 12,000 to 121,000, a level reached only once before in the last decade. The old Commonwealth countries of Australia; New Zealand, and Canada provided 39,000 people, 10,000 more than last year. Most of that increase — 6000 — came from New Zealand. The outflow to old Commonwealth countries was down 2000 to 30,000, although New Zealand increased its share from 5000 to 7000.