Knock at Doors

Let me begin with a story and an invitation.

A migrant couple knocked at doors in a distant town, as the woman was with child. Not one gave them shelter; so they had to settle for a stable for animals where the King of Kings was born. To undo the injustice the human race did more than 2,000 years ago, Catholic groups in North Shore (Auckland, New Zealand) invites you to the Open Gathering on 20 December at the Fr David Nolan Auditorium, St Joseph’s Takapuna where we shall sing Christmas songs; share food and drinks; and offer you gifts. We shall celebrate the true spirit of Christmas for migrants such as you.

Now allow me to proceed to the issue at hand. It concerns us migrants who have come to Aotearoa New Zealand in these uncertain economic times. We had met several times to discuss our plight and we made proposals to the National Party government through Immigration Minister Jonathan Coleman to ease our suffering, to relieve our misery.

Dr Coleman’s reception has been cold. He has failed to realize that migrant workers are not sucking up the economy. In fact, many are borrowing money from home to keep them going. All we are asking for is a chance to have them here a little longer, to find a job, and for Immigration New Zealand to abide by its original promise when it issued the Work-to-Residence visas – for them to fill up the shortages for skilled workers.

 At the end of the day, everyone suffers, including the New Zealand economy, if we send these workers packing.

We have therefore asked Members of Parliament who understand the situation of the migrant workers to come to our rescue. Today, we turn over to them for sponsorship a petition signed by more than 2,000 individuals that aims to address urgent concerns. In extraordinary times, extraordinary measures must be adopted and extraordinary representatives of the people are needed to sponsor the measures.

As I begun this talk with a story. Let me end with another one. A group of migrants knocked at the doors of Aotearoa New Zealand – and they were let in, as Work-to-Residence visa holders and temporary workers. They were amazed with its vibrant cities and beautiful sceneries. It was dream come true out of the postcards and the inviting materials in the Immigration New Zealand website. But as soon as they began job searching, they woke up to the reality that they’ve been led to the backdoor that directs them to the stable for animals, becoming an underclass in what they thought was a fair and caring society.

by Mel Libre