As an electorate MP, I often get asked to assist with immigration issues. By the time people come to see us, they have usually been through all the regular processes for getting a visa to enter New Zealand. But somewhere along the way, they have come up against a barrier.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!This means I don’t hear the happy stories where everything has gone smoothly. I usually only hear the stories where things have not worked out well.
However it’s important to remember that behind every set of facts there is a very human story about people wanting a chance to find a new way of life in New Zealand, or families wanting to be re-united, or adult children wanting to look after elderly parents and so on. Immigration policy is not just about the employment economics: it is about people’s lives and families. The stories I hear about families who are separated and unable to be together are sad.
During the border closures brought about by the pandemic, these stories have become even more heart breaking. Like many electorate MPs I have heard about people who had gone home to visit family but were caught out and couldn’t get back into New Zealand. In some cases, husbands and wives have been separated. In others it’s someone who can’t get back to their job or their home.
Recently, more space has become available in our managed isolation and quarantine facilities. That means that instead of only citizens and permanent residents being able to enter New Zealand, some other people will be able to gain entry too. In particular, if you are a New Zealand citizen or permanent resident, and your partner is from a visa waiver country, your partner can apply to come to New Zealand. If you are on a temporary work visa and you have strong on-going links to New Zealand, you can apply to come back here. Some critical workers will also be able to apply for entry.
This will open up the borders a little. Entry to New Zealand has been heavily restricted to help manage the flow of people through isolation and quarantine. That has created significant difficulties for many people. While the bar for being granted an exception still remains high, the changes will reduce some of those difficulties and keep our country moving.
-Deborah Russell Labour MP based in New Lynn, Auckland.