Coronavirus: Unfair for Kiwis to turn backs on migrant workers

Tuesday, 5 May 2020

Migrant workers who have made their homes in Queenstown say it's unfair for NZ to turn its back on them.

Migrant workers have called for unity after being told to “go home” on social media.

Queenstown migrant workers — in a video made by Crux Publishing Ltd with funding from New Zealand on Air — have expressed a desire to stay in in the town where many had made their home.

Thousands of Queenstown migrant workers are out of work and trapped with no money for food or rent due to the Covid-19 crisis.

Central Queenstown was devoid of tourists and residents under Covid-19 level 4 restrictions.

Holleh Nowrouz, a migrant worker from the UK, said Kiwis should not think “migrant workers are not our problem, they should go home”.

* Coronavirus: Fergburger to open for orders on Friday

* Coronavirus: Queenstown's fall from most successful to 'one of poorest areas' after Covid-19**

“The reason why this country is my home and so many other migrant workers' homes is because of how at home we are made to feel in this country,' she said.

“We really want the opportunity to ride this wave out together and to continue to work in this country and work towards rebuilding the economy.

'It would be unfair to turn your back on the migrant workers that have decided to stick. Let's hit reset and all figure out a way together on how we can fix it.”

Nowrouz had lived in Queenstown for three years and was trying to figure out ways to stay.

Queenstown wharf is usually bustling with jet boat riders, buskers and tourists. On a perfect autumn day during the Covid-19 lockdown period it sits empty.

“Covid has felt like the rug has been pulled from underneath us. As much as this has felt like my home for three years, the realities are it isn't on paper. It is definitely nerve-wrecking time.”

Lucy Bateman, a migrant worker from the UK, said it was not easy “just to go home”.

“I've seen a lot of people write 'just go home' on Facebook and stuff like that. They don't understand we have moved here and this is home for us.'

The intersection of Shotover St and Camp St, in central Queenstown, is usually the scene of heavy congestion.

Chamber of Commerce chief executive Anna Mickell said it had always been a tenuous position to be a migrant worker on a short-term visa — not just in New Zealand, but anywhere in the world.

“We have to be compassionate …. but we have to be real that we are a small country at the bottom of the world and our capacity for adequately supporting people is, especially at this time, is going to be limited.”

Queenstown Lakes District mayor Jim Boult said of the 9000 people on the council's database, about 6000 migrants had requested welfare assistance.

“We have to remember migrant workers have played a massive part in the development of the tourism industry not only in Queenstown Lakes but right around New Zealand. .

'We have got to be careful that we don't just turn around and say sorry we don't need you any more. We do owe them a debt.”