EXECUTIVE SUMMARY When it comes to immigration, a natural but complicated question to ask is: “Is immigration good for New Zealand?” There are a number of ways immigration affects New Zealand and New Zealanders, and a number of concerns and fears New Zealanders have about immigration. This report analyses the effects of immigration and how these effects should be considered in the immigration debate. It is a timely contribution given immigration is becoming a significant issue in the 2017 election. Due to the subjective nature of how many of the effects are viewed, this report cannot definitively say immigration is good for New Zealand. However, many popular concerns about immigration are overblown and benefits under-represented. Any policy change must be sensible and not reactionary.
WHAT DOES MIGRATION LOOK LIKE? With all the talk about immigration, misunderstanding is rife about what the flows look like and what is causing the sudden uptick. Permanent and Long-Term (PLT) arrivals and departures indicate who is arriving or departing New Zealand for an intended stay of at least 12 months. In 2015–16, annual arrivals rose to 125,000, and net migration rose to a record high of 69,000 (arrivals minus departures). Much of this was due to movements of New Zealanders. As the economy has been performing relatively well, more Kiwis are returning from overseas and fewer Kiwis are leaving. New Zealand and Australian citizens represent 29% of arrivals. The number of foreign migrants has been rising, but the PLT figure does not tell us how many are being added to the population on a permanent basis. Official figures show 58% of arrivals are temporary work, student, or visitor visas, of which fewer than one in five are expected to gain permanent residency.
CULTURE SHOCK News of violent extremism committed by migrants in Western countries stokes fears among some that New Zealand is risking importing terror through the immigration system. Others fear that even without violent extremism, immigration may threaten New Zealand’s social cohesion and ignite unrest, opening the door to unpredictable backlash – as seen in the 2016 US presidential election. Another concern is that increasing flows of people from overseas dilutes our national identity. It would be naïve to think New Zealand is immune from terror threats. However, there is little reason to believe the immigration system is an effective way to minimise this risk. Evidence suggests social unrest and extremism stem from social isolation and economic despair. New Zealand’s record of migrant success in the labour market goes a long way in promoting cohesive integration into the broader society – a success that flows to the second and subsequent generations. New Zealand has relatively little ethnic or migrant clustering. Where concentrations of migrants do occur, there is no indication of high unemployment or European-style migrant ghettos. Survey data reveals migrants integrate well in New Zealand (87% of migrants say they feel they belong to New Zealand) and exhibit relatively high mental and physical health and life satisfaction. While most New Zealanders embrace the diversity migrants bring to New Zealand, there is concern about the impact of migrants on national identity, particularly among Māori.
THE NEW NEW ZEALANDERS
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