Exodus to Oz continues

[MotherBear]

Great Kiwi flight to Australia continues
11:13AM Tuesday May 20, 2008

New migration stats released this morning show no sign of the Kiwi flight to Australia easing.

Statistics New Zealand said that the number of permanent and long term arrivals to New Zealand exceeded departures by just 400 in April.

The net outflow of people to Australia was 30,600 for the year ended April, the highest since 31,000 left in the 12 months to June 2001.

Annual net migration in the year ended April 2008 was 4,700, unchanged from the month before, but less than half the inflow recorded in the previous April year.

Net migrant inflows were recorded for other countries, with 7,100 coming from the UK, 4,200 from India, 3,300 from the Philippines. South Africa contributed another 2,300 immigrants.

More here .

[MotherBear]

Migrant outflow to Australia at 19-year high
2:52PM Monday July 21, 2008

The net outflow of people from New Zealand to live permanently or long term (PLT) in Australia reached its highest annual level in 19 years last month.

The net outflow to Australia was 31,900 in the June 2008 year, the highest since 32,000 in the May 1989 year. The June 2007 figure was 25,000.

Last month, the net outflow of migrants to Australia was 2900, up from 2200 in June 2007.

Overall PLT departures exceed arrivals by 600 last month, compared to a net outflow of 400 in June 2007. Net inflows of 400 migrants came from the Philippines, 300 from India, and 200 from South Africa, China and Fiji.

When seasonally adjusted, there was a net PLT inflow of 500 people last month, SNZ said.

For the year ended June, there were 85,200 PLT arrivals, an increase of 2500 or 3 per cent from the June 2007 year. In the same period PLT departures were up 7900 or 11 per cent to 80,500.

The net migration figure of 4700 in the June 2008 year was down from 10,100 in the June 2007 year, but above a recent low of 4600 in the February 2008 year.

- NZPA

From here.

[MotherBear]

And more .....

NZ a 'giant transit lounge' for Australia
By BEN FAWKES - The Dominion Post | Monday, 21 July 2008

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.

From here.