Immigration issues, challenges and policy: A view from New Zealand

Abstract

New Zealand is a nation of immigrants from the early British colonization of the indigenous Maori tribes to the more recent influx of new immigrants from all parts of the world. Although historically a bicultural country arising from the Treaty of Waitangi (1840) and the partnership between the Maori and the British Crown, changes in immigration policy in the late 1980s and early 1990s precipitated an influx of migration from non-traditional sources, particularly new immigrants from Asian countries. At present, almost one in four people in New Zealand are overseas-born, and Great Britain and China are major source countries. The changes in the national demographics and the marked increase in cultural diversity over the last three decades have presented New Zealand with unique challenges. We discuss three of the challenges in this paper: 1) realizing the benefits of immigration by ensuring immigrant satisfaction and obtaining social and economic benefits from their skills and talents; 2) fostering positive relations between indigenous Maori and new settlers; and 3) safeguarding social cohesion in New Zealand. The discussion of these challenges is followed by a view to the future with policy-relevant commentary to maximize the benefits and minimize the risks of immigration in New Zealand. © Nova Scicence Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved.