Immigration New Zealand must be fixed: News Roundup

What it is really showing is that if you go to a New Zealand Immigration office you can get a different decision on a different day depending on who you speak to and what branch you go to

A FEW important immigration stories for you today.

The recent Auditor General's report into the New Zealand Immigration is still making political waves in the Dom Post this morning.

The Immigration Service, within the Department of Labour, was focused on processing as many visas as possible without worrying about quality, said the report.

"This meant that staff who were under pressure to meet quantity targets had incentives to approve visas and permits, rather than decline them."

The Dom also carries a quote from Prime Minister John Keys in a later news item on the same issue.

A minder for the Department of Labour's chief executive is necessary to sort out the "shambles and mess" at the immigration service, Prime Minister John Key says.

Meanwhile, Radio New Zealand reports more money is on the way for the Immigration department to improves its IT systems.

Another finding held that the service's main computer system could not even store basic information. Jonathan Coleman [Immigration Minister] told TVNZ's Q+A programme he would try to get the money needed to fix this.

And The Herald reports the "hacking" of over 40 skills from the Skills shortage list.

Skills no longer required include:

* Baker.
* Bicycle mechanic.
* Bricklayer.
* Butcher.
* Carpenter.
* Crane, hoist or lift operator.
* Dental assistant.
* Drainlayer.
* Motor mechanic.
* Painter, decorator and paper hanger.
* Pig farmer.
* Plasterer.
* Scaffolder.
* Screen printer.
* Senior shepherd.
* Sommelier (restaurant wine specialist).
* Travel consultant.
* Vehicle painter.

Radio NZ covers the same story here, with comment from a building firm warning that skills will be needed again as soon as the recession bottoms out.

Comments

[Alan]

TV, Radio, newspapers - I'm surprised at the high level of coverage this is all getting. Gives you the impression NZIS is in a complete mess that's been ignored for years doesn't it?
The level of attention is good, and should help focus some minds. I think the most damming thing is that a 'minder' is being appointed to fix the issues - which says that NZIS/DOL themselves aren't trusted to fix them..

[William Knight]

But if the lunatics are in charge of the asylum there really is no hope, is there?

I think the minder is a good idea. As you say, Alan, it suggesst total and systematic failure.

[Alan]

Well, I'm not sure I'd class the lunes at NZIS as being in charge of NZ as an asylum - although they do decide which other nutters get to stay, or which one's get early release! ;)
As I've said for a while - pack all the NZIS staff off on a diplomatic posting to North Korea, or Afganistan, or Iraq or Mongolia for two whole years and then see how they treat people.

Not that I have anything against Mongolia - lovely country - it just has two seasons Summer, lasting two months which is slightly warm, and winter lasting 10 months with Antartic weather for much of the middle of winter.