Warning of 'education trafficking' scams hitting New Zealand

Thursday, 25 February 2016

UNEMIG migrant workers co-ordinator Dennis Maga says an international 'syndicate' profits from education trafficking.

Concern about rogue immigration agents blamed for misleading foreign students is driving a new campaign against 'education trafficking'.

The Union Network of Migrants (UNEMIG) is launching the campaign, as a local researcher says at-risk students are commonly exploited when finding jobs, with some forced into prostitution.

Tertiary Education Minister Steven Joyce says Private Training Establishments are strongly monitored and the industry should not be 'smeared'.

UNEMIG co-ordinator Dennis Maga said a 'syndicate' operated with impunity abroad, promising students jobs and permanent residency in New Zealand.

Maga said unlicensed agents used local contacts in business and some Private Training Establishments (PTEs) to profit at the expense of migrants.

Labour MP Iain Lees-Galloway says unlicensed education agents abroad are to blame for many migrants' suffering.

'We have to look at the entire chain in terms of the recruitment,' Maga said.

Maga said some unlicensed agents in South Asia and the Philippines claimed any tertiary course could guarantee work and permanent residency.

Wellington immigration adviser Wiebe Herder said unlicensed 'education agents' tricked probably hundreds of migrants each year.

'They're giving additional advice in regards to work and residence for which you need to be licensed for, to help them sell the student visa.'

He said some business course graduates ended up in unskilled restaurant jobs, where shifty employers told officials the migrants were 'managers.'

AUT University Business School PhD candidate Danae Anderson said she'd surveyed 483 international students for her thesis. Over half experienced exploitative conditions.

This ranged from underpayment at work, to sexual slavery, where women who arrived as international students were working as prostitutes, especially in Auckland.

'It's a much larger problem than I think any of us are aware of.'

She said some students moved on to visas effectively bonding them to specific employers. 'They're paying for the job letter than enables them to work in New Zealand,' Anderson said. 'The going rate's about $8000.'

She said the youngest, poorest migrants with the poorest command of English were most vulnerable.

Unite union national director Mike Treen said 'tremendous competition' for jobs meant the going rate for migrants at several Auckland restaurants '$10 cash in hand'. The minimum wage is $14.75.

In Amritsar, India, licensed immigration adviser Munish Sekhri said rogue agents were accountable to nobody and 'blatantly' misled students.

Sekhri wanted all offshore student visa advisers to be licensed under the Immigration Advisers Authority.

Labour Party MP Iain Lees-Galloway said exploitation of migrants, especially Filipinos and Indians who'd been falsely promised permanent residency, was a growing problem.

Immigration Minister Michael Woodhouse earlier told the MP complainants should contact the Immigration Adviser's Authority (IAA).

But the IAA could not prosecute people overseas, and could only deregister licensed advisers.

'It's a very weak system,' Lees-Galloway said. 'It's a dog's breakfast.'

Woodhouse said a review of the Immigration Advisers Licensing Act would look at regulation of offshore student advisors.

'While there may be a few rogues operating – and we take that very seriously – it is a small part of what is a significant industry for New Zealand taxpayers.'

New Zealand Union of Students' Associations (NZUSA) executive director Alistair Shaw said bad budgeting advice from agents meant exploited students often faced substandard living conditions in Auckland.

NZUSA president Linsey Higgins wanted a review of all PTEs.

But Independent Tertiary Education New Zealand chair Christine Clark said the industry was already heavily regulated.

'They are weeding out the culprits. The good quality ones are also being just about annihilated because of a few …'

Tertiary Education Minister Steven Joyce said the international education industry was 'robustly monitored' and generated $2.85 billion annually and 30,000 local jobs.

He said people with concerns about PTEs should contact NZQA or Immigration NZ, not 'smear' all providers.

Catherine Albiston, Registrar of Licensed Immigration Advisers, said complaining to the IAA would not jeopardise one's immigration status.

'I TRUSTED HIM'

Anna-Lisa Casaje sold her property in the Philippines three years ago and paid an unlicensed immigration agent about NZ$4090 cash – more than half her annual salary.

Casaje said she and 19 others were promised work and permanent residency, but some had gone back home after learning these promises were hollow.

Casaje, 34, found a job and passed a course at a PTE, but permanent residency was still not guaranteed, and the agent disappeared.

'I was chasing him but he's nowhere to find anymore.'

Nobody answered listed phone numbers for the Manila-based agent, a former Immigration NZ employee.

The IAA and Immigration NZ said they previously told the agent about licensing requirements.

'INZ has no controls over the future career directions of former staff, but any person who was an immigration officer or refugee and protection officer cannot become a licensed adviser within 12 months of leaving INZ.'