Immigration Policy and Diversity Research

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Immigration Policyand Diversity Research
Stephen Dunstan Immigration Policy Manager
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Immigration policy where does diversity fit?
Key Changes in Immigration Circulation Diversit
y Risks Competition
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A global perspective on migration and diversity
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The way we conceptualise Immigration Policy
The work we do in Immigration Policy can be
considered along two continua
Refugees
Skilled Migrants
Interpreters from Japan
Immigration Act Review
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Immigration Policy Highlights for 2007/08
Tactical/Functional Policy
FTAs
Iranian negotiation
SMC Changes
Caregivers, diary farm workers, fishers
Victims of Domestic Violence
Family Reunification
Investors and Entrepreneurs
People Trafficking
WHSs
Greater Workforce focus
Lesser Workforce focus
Migrant Levy and Fees
Recognised Seasonal Employer
BSGG
Immigration Advisers Act
Temporary Work Essential Skills
IBT
Development / Climate Change
Immigration Act Review
Strategic/Foundational Policy
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New Zealand has a diverse range of migrants

• Proportion of approvals by main source countries
  (2005/06 2006/07)

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Beyond the headline statistics
80 believe migrants have made an important
contribution to New Zealand BUT 45 - too many
from Asia 39 - too many from Pacific
Ethnic groups Percentage of the total population
1991-2006
Source Ward, C, Masgoret, A.-M. (2004). New
Zealanders attitudes toward immigrants and
immigration.
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How do we stack up? Immigration selection

• A good selection system matches the
  qualifications, skills and attributes of migrants
  to employment opportunities
• Without a good match human potential is
  squandered, expectations are not met, frustration
  mounts for migrants and the host society
• How are we doing?

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How are we doing?

• A recent OECD study found that in almost all OECD
  countries immigrants are more likely to be
  overqualified for their job than a person born in
  that country
• The study also showed that NZ is better at
  matching immigrants to jobs than any of the other
  17 OECD countries in the study
• NZ was the only country in which immigrants
  qualifications tended to be better matched to
  their jobs than natives

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Challenges on the horizon

• Increased competition driven by world demand
  and falling working age populations in the OECD
• New source countries create new opportunities and
  settlement challenges
• Marketing New Zealand as an attractive migrant
  destination ensuring we are in peoples mind

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International competition

• Competition for talented people increasing at
  significant pace
• Other countries continuously reviewing and
  refreshing immigration policies and marketing
  activities
• In response to factors such as
• projected drop of 65 million people in working
  age population of OECD countries over the next 25
  years
• projected strong demand for skilled people in
  both developed and large developing countries
  such as China, Brazil, and India
• phenomenon of people from countries such as
  China, India leaving to study offshore but
  returning to own countries after graduation.
  Caused by rapid growth in quality job
  opportunities

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The challenges

• How can we best leverage the diversity in skilled
  migrants?

Skills
Diversity

• How do we manage a more diverse range of risks

Security

• How should we provide settlement to a more
  diverse range of migrants

Settlement
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International Migration, Settlement and
Employment Dynamics (IMSED Research)25 August
2008
Vasantha Krishnan Manager IMSED
Research Department of Labour
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IMSED Research Programme

• Business coverage
• Immigration
• Emigration
• Settlement
• Inter-connect between migration and the labour
  market (Employment Dynamics)

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Stakeholders for RE products
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IMSED Research Strategy

• Key components of the IMSED research programme
  include
• describing and monitoring trends and variation in
  immigration and settlement outcomes
• understanding the multiple causes of variation in
  immigration and settlement outcomes
• monitoring key causal factors associated with
  variation in immigration and settlement outcomes
• analysing what works to create positive
  immigration outcomes for migrants and New Zealand
  as a whole
• anticipating the likely impact of future social,
  socio-demographic, and economic change on New
  Zealand and its implications for immigration

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IMSED Research - six medium term strategic
priority areas for the 2007/08 to 2010/11 Work
programme

• Understanding the factors associated with global
  mobility (immigration and emigration)
• Building a strategic settlement knowledge base
• The inter-relationship between migration and
  employment
• Social cohesion and social impacts of migration
• Adverse impacts and outcomes of migration (crime
  and security)
• New Zealands role in the Pacific and
  internationally

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Strategic Projects

• Economic Impacts of Immigration
• Quota Refugees 10 years on
• LISNZ
• Evaluation of RSE
• Survey Monitoring Programme
• Migration Trends and Outlook

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Working in Partnership

• Other Government Departments
• Settlement knowledge Base OEA, MSD
• International students with Ministry of
  Education
• University Sector
• Economic Impacts of Immigration Waikato
  University, MONASH
• LISNZ
• NGOs and Community Groups
• Quota refugees 10 years on
• International organisations
• Evaluation of RSE with the World Bank
• Metropolis
• Private Sector Research and Evaluation Service
  Providers and key experts
• Research New Zealand Survey of Skilled
  Migrants
• MoTu, BERL

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2007/08 Published reports

• Life in New Zealand Settlement Experiences of
  Skilled Migrants
• Fiscal Impacts of Immigrations 2005/06
• LISNZ First release results
• National survey of international students
• The Economic Impacts of Housing in NZ 1991-2016
• Settlement patterns and geographic mobility of
  migrants
• The experiences of migrant youth a generational
  analysis
• Annotated bibliography of NZ literature on
  migrant youth

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What have we learnt about immigration?

• New migrants put 3.3 billion net into NZ last
  year
• In 2007, 92 of skilled principal applicants were
  working for pay or profit
• Number of migrants receiving an income tested
  social welfare benefit has fallen every year
  since 2001
• 87 of migrants would recommend NZ to others as a
  place to come and live
• Most people granted PR in NZ have been here
  before on a temporary permit
• There is little evidence that new migrants have
  been significant contributors to house price
  appreciation

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What have we learnt about diversity?

• More than one in five New Zealanders are born
  overseas
• NZ attracted international students from over 150
  different nationalities in 2006/07?
• A quarter of all foreign born children living in
  NZ have NZ born parents
• The UK is our largest source of skilled migrants
• 60 of the increase in the working age population
  between 2001 and 2006 was from migration
• Migrants are more likely to initially settle in
  areas where there are a greater proportion of
  migrants from their region of origin. The
  strength of the labour market in determining
  places of settlement increases after initial
  settlement.
• NZ resettles approximately 750 quota refugees
  every year