NZ top immigrant source to Oz

[MotherBear]

NZ top source of immigrants to Australia
11:11AM Tuesday September 25, 2007

New Zealand is now the number one source of immigrants to Australia.

In an announcement that is sure to spark more debate on the brain drain from New Zealand, Australia announced overnight that New Zealand has overtaken Britain as the largest source country for permanent migrants to Australia.

Departmental statistics released by Immigration Minister Kevin Andrews show arrivals from New Zealand reached 23,906 last year, up from 19,033 the previous year.

The number of UK migrants remained steady at 23,223 during 2006-07.

More here .

[keeweegal]

I'm sure Oz is nice enough - only thing is its full of Aussies!

Don't worry, folks - you're all headed to the right place

[hball]

It would be interesting to know the percentage of native born Kiwis moving across the ditch, compared to those who came to NZ as immigrants and then decided to move over the ditch as while I've no idea of how hard it is now to get into Oz as a new immigrant, some years ago it was widely known that the easiest way in was via NZ citizenship and it was not unusual to hear people say they were only here to wait the three years (as it was then) to get it.

[MotherBear]

Originally Posted by hball

It would be interesting to know the percentage of native born Kiwis moving across the ditch, compared to those who came to NZ as immigrants and then decided to move over the ditch.

They do seem to say 'the number of kiwis' but don't specify if they mean anyone entering Oz from NZ, as opposed to just native born NZers. It's the same for the Brits - they don't specify if they are coming directly from the UK or whether they still class you as 'coming from the UK' when you've been living in NZ for several years but still hold a British passport. Difficult to know if they just go by which passport you hold rather than where you've been a resident for x amount of years.

It would be interesting to have the figures broken down, as you say, Hball.

[hball]

Caught an artice on TV last night which stated that one in six NZ Maori now live in Oz!!! Those interviewed said they have crossed the ditch for better employment opportunities and better weather, and even though there is NZ government initative to get them back, they have no intentions of returning.

[KiwiHopeful]

I caught a little bit of that report too while I was cooking dinner. Am I correct in thinking that I heard one of the Maori say that their kid(s) didn't know how to do the haka?

If so, that's really kind of sad. I mean, everyone should have the right to live where they want and make the kind of lives for themselves and their family that best suites them (that's not an absolute, but you know what I mean) but I think it would be too bad if 30 or 50 years from now Maori language, traditions, and culture where gone.


Especially since the NZ gov't seems to have a really progressive policy toward the Maori. I think about how native peoples have been treated in the US--and in other countries in the Americas--where gov't policy has officially or unofficially destroyed their cultures.

[Glenda]

Hmmm, I don't think that will happen in NZ - it is more likely we will become a bi-lingual country.

There was a report in the press sometime last year about a Maori family in Australia and they indicated (rather sadly) how much better life has been for them without the 'ball and chain' of their culture, which tends to be rather laidback. They felt their kids were achieving far better at school without the negative influence of the few Maoris about who are dismissive of improving themeselves in what they see is a 'white' culture.

Just repeating what I heard.

[hball]

Its ironic really, New Zealand's indigenous people leaving for a better life while other cultures are moving heaven and earth to be here and looking for exactly the same thing!