NZ a 'giant transit lounge' for Australia

Immigrants are leaving New Zealand in droves, taking advantage of their newly gained citizenship benefits to move to Australia.

New Zealand has been described by UnitedFuture leader Peter Dunne as "a giant transit lounge", with South Africans leading the charge across the Tasman.

Figures from the Labour Department, issued under the Official Information Act, show that nearly 20 per cent of the 37,000 New Zealanders who declared they were intending to remain in Australia either permanently or for at least a year were born outside New Zealand.

In 2003, 4187 citizens born outside New Zealand moved to Australia. By last year that figure had climbed to 7159 people.

The country of origin with the most departures was South Africa with 871, followed by India (696) and England (678).

The department does not hold figures on when the migrants became citizens, so this did not necessarily mean they were immigrants who shifted just after gaining citizenship.

Mr Dunne said more needed to be done to ensure immigrants adjusted to their new environment.

"Our immigration and resettlement policy is not effectively encouraging people to make long-term commitments."

He said though there was a "distinct minority" who came to New Zealand solely to gain citizenship for the purpose of entering Australia, most immigrants wanted to make the most of living here.

The Afrikaans Club of New Zealand chairman Philip Langenhoven said most South Africans he had encountered in New Zealand thought it was an "awesome place" to live and raise their children.

Most of those who moved across the Tasman were being attracted by new job opportunities.

"They've got skills to sell and are quite in demand, just like people from Britain or the United States are."

A spokeswoman for Immigration Minister Clayton Cosgrove said: "There has never been such a globally competitive and mobile labour market as we are seeing today."

In the Wellington region, a settlement strategy was launched at the end of June. The intention is to help migrants find appropriate work, provide better information about New Zealand society and give access to English language training.

"The Government recognises that it must offer a world-class immigration service in order to keep attracting the migrants who we want and need, as well as maintaining secure borders and fulfilling our immigration-related international obligations," she said.

- © Fairfax NZ News