Emigrating to New Zealand essential in recession: UK economist

A leading economist from the UK says that emigrating to New Zealand during the recession is essential to the prosperity of the country, reports Radio New Zealand News.

The government promised that emigrating to New Zealand would remain open during the recession after its big brother Australia said that it would cut back its skilled migration program by 14 per cent.

British author and economist Philippe Legrain has backed up the government's policy, in saying that people emigrating to New Zealand will be vital to the recovery of the economy after the recession begins to lift.

According to Mr Legrain, skilled migrants will be the "lifeline" for the global economy and the "launch pad" for recovery, because by nature they fill the gaps in the skilled workforce and inject cash into the economy as soon as they land. People emigrating to New Zealand through the New Zealand skilled migration program will – according to Legrain – generate economic production and innovation.

Prime Minister John Key agreed earlier in the year.

"New Zealand needs skilled migrants to grow," he said. "We have a skills deficit and while that may abate slightly because of the downturn in the economy and growing unemployment, we still need to make sure we have got enough skills to grow our economy and develop further."

Currently, the migration target for people emigrating to New Zealand is sitting at 45,000 places.

In related news, the Auckland Regional Migrant Services (ARMS), an organisation dedicated to people emigrating to New Zealand, will be holding an information sharing evening to promote the employment of migrants and refugees on the 20 May 2009.

The purpose of the workshop is to bring together service providers, employers, community organisations and migrants so that people are better prepared to understand the benefits of employing skilled migrants in New Zealand during the recession.

"This is an opportunity to find out about the benefits of a diverse workforce and how the apparent risks of employing migrants and refugees can be managed effectively," ARMS said in a press release this week.

"It will also be an opportunity to direct questions to the presenters and to discuss the concerns you may have with others."

The New Zealand Visa Bureau is an independent consulting company specialising in helping people with emigrating to New Zealand.