Peters has 'no doubts' immigration will decrease despite minor drop in first month of new government

November 23, 2017

He said the numbers will be more significant as the months unfold.

Net immigration is down in New Zealand but only by a few hundred, new statistics show after Labour's first month leading the government.

Deputy Prime Minsiter Winston Peters told Jack Tame on TVNZ1's Breakfast this morning that he had "no doubts" the number would drop further in the coming months.

The recent decrease comes after immigration numbers rose 35 months in a row.

"The numbers will be more significant as the months unfold," Mr Peters said. 

"We are going to examine the critical areas of student visas and the propriety of people coming in here and people who have meant to had already acquired the skills that they have on their application. We should see a significant change in those two areas," he said.

Mr Peters said he had to "compromise" with Labour when building coalition agreement and decided to go with Labour's plan of reducing migration by 20,000 to 30,000 people, which was less drastic than New Zealand First’s proposed plan of 60,000.

National Party spokesperson for immigration Simon Bridges said new immigration announcements from the government was a "major climb-down”, and called it was a "u-turn" on their previous announcements. 

"It is a major shift in core policy that needs a proper explanation from the Government," said Mr Bridges.

"This flip flop has been coming over recent days and weeks as Labour has belatedly realised New Zealand's high rate of employment and shortage of skilled labour."

Demographer Paul Spoonley explains why net-migration is still high despite Labour's tougher stance on immigration.

According to Peters, immigration is now down 1 per cent, with 200 less migrants in the first month of the Labour-led Government.

Demographer Paul Spoonley said his sense was immigrant workers were filling the gap in many working sectors.

"As soon as we turn the tap off, we turn the tap off in the rebuild."

He said that tourism is "booming" in New Zealand, due to it being an attractive place for both temporary and permanent arrivals. 

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