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THUMBS UP FROM NEW MIGRANTS By Lawrence Johnston A SURVEY of new residents' views of New Zealand, will hearten other skilled people considering a future in that country.The New Zealand Department of Labour survey found 93 per cent of the skilled migrants interviewed were happy in their first months as residents in New Zealand, and 79 per cent were either 'very satisfied' or 'satisfied' in their new jobs. And since 66 per cent of those interviewed, emigrated from the UK, the findings are doubly encouraging. The survey looked at the first year of new migrants' lives. Aspects covered included their employment, income, region of residence, housing, schooling and access to services. Also covered were migrants' perceptions of their lives in New Zealand so far. That included their likes, dislikes and unwelcome shocks or surprises, plus the reasons migrants left their home countries and why they chose to emigrate to New Zealand. The survey came immediately after a survey of New Zealand employers, which showed they were overwhelmingly satisfied with the migrants they had hired. New Zealand Immigration Minister David Cunliffe said the findings showed that immigration was working to benefit both migrants and New Zealand itself. "We are attracting people who settle well into our communities and contribute to the Government's key goal of economic transformation by bringing their much needed skills to New Zealand," he said. It also highlighted the importance of targeting migrants likely to fit into New Zealand easily and having good settlement support once they arrived there. The New Zealand Government launched its NZ$62 million Settlement Strategy in 2004 to help migrants adjust and feel welcome in New Zealand. "Starting out in a new country is a challenge, regardless of your background. The Government is committed to making the transition as easy as possible for all new migrants," he said. The strategy includes the nationwide establishment of the Settlement Support New Zealand initiatives, which will give migrants earlier access to the information and support available from government and social services in their area. "The quicker and better that migrants can settle, the better the experience for them and their families and the sooner they can contribute to New Zealand," Mr Cunliffe said. |
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