A migrant couple has been left without a home or savings after they were trapped overseas in India when New Zealand shut its borders.
Jagdeep and Kulvir Singh moved to New Zealand four years ago on student visas before obtaining work permits to continue their time here.
However, after a trip to India so their three-month-old daughter could meet her grandparents, the young family became stuck offshore in limbo.
"It's so much stress, we have a lot of stress and we are facing a lot of problems," Kulvir Singh told TVNZ1's Breakfast today. "Every migrant is facing a lot of problems like financial problems because every person has no income source."
Waiting in hope of a soon return, the couple had continued paying for their rental property, which they left behind over the past nine months they have been stuck in India.
The Migrant Workers Association is pleading for the Government to reassure migrants stuck overseas they will be able to return home in the future.
"Most or all of them just stepped out for a short time, a holiday or to catch-up with families," said spokesperson Anu Kaloti. "In the meantime their personal belongings, their rental accommodation, their cars, everything is here. They've just been left in limbo."
While she says they understand the best way to control the virus is to limit the number of people entering the country, migrants are wanting to hear from the Government about their chances of a safe return.
"Just a simple assurance, a simple statement issued that all these people will be allowed to come back because it's not their fault that they are stuck off shore."
The pair are pleading for the government to provide a time frame of how long those stuck overseas should be expected to wait.
"First we want an extension of the visa which we have let expire due to the borders remaining closed due to Covid-19 and we want assurance," Kulvir Singh said.
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