Immigration service a 'shambles'

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.

An Auditor-General's report released this month said the service, part of the Department of Labour, was focused on processing as many visas as possible without worrying about quality.

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

The report found problems were worse in the Pacific Division than elsewhere in the service.

The division was set up by the service's former boss Mary Anne Thompson in 2005, who resigned last year after accusations of a conflict of interest in helping overseas family members gain residency.

It was also alleged that she did not have a doctorate from the London School of Economics that many people believed she had when she applied for jobs earlier in her career.

Ms Thompson is facing court action on fraud and dishonesty charges.

Recently the service gained media attention for refusing permits to several pregnant women, at least one of whom was too sick to travel.

The service last week reviewed its decision on 29-year-old Lithuanian tourist Jurga Skiauteris, so she and her family were allowed to remain in New Zealand until the birth of her baby.

"This was a shambles and a mess left to us by the Labour Government," Mr Key said said on TVNZ's Breakfast programme.

"Immigration is part of the Department of Labour so it doesn't just have immigration to worry about it has ACC, it has employment law, it has a lot of different areas."

A person would be appointed to "ride shot-gun" and help change the immigration service, Mr Key said.

He was confident Immigration Minister Jonathan Coleman could "sort it".

Dr Coleman told TV1's Q+A show that the Auditor-General's report was "very bad".

The problems meant some people may be in New Zealand who should not be and others with legitimate rights may have been turned away, he said.

The report's recommendations needed to be implemented, permanent senior management was needed to replace those in acting roles, the IT system needed an upgrade worth $117 million over four years and the entire process needed to be taken apart and looked at "from top to bottom".

The cost and risks of separating the immigration service out of the Department of Labour were too high, Dr Coleman said.

Two years was the "outside limit" for changes to be made and New Zealand to have "a superb immigration service".

- NZPA

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John   #3   01:23 am Jun 22 2009

The Immigration Service has always been a shambles - when I applied for residence via the Auckland Immigration Office several years ago a rather simple and scruffy looking official who couldn't even navigate his way around the policy manual told me I had no case for residence under the skilled migration policy. Three months later I got it having had to pay a consultant $2,500 to do the work for me - she went through the Christchurch office as Auckland is and always has been an example of poorly skilled and poorly paid labour at all levels. They remind me of the incompetents at Auckland City Council. John Exbrayat

guest   #2   08:04 pm Jun 15 2009

Don't worry NZ folks, you are still miles ahead of US immigration

Joji   #1   09:36 am Jun 15 2009

A classic case of targets driving undesired behaviour.

Of course people will do their best to meet targets if their performance is measured that way regardless of whether or not the outcome is desired.

How to fix it?

First be very clear about why the service exists. Then set measurements, not targets, that show how well that purpose is being achieved. Finally, look at how the current work practices are assisting that achievement and if they're not, change them.

No need for someone to ride shotgun. Just someone who knows what to look for...

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