Labour’s immigration policy contains some constructive steps to protect migrant workers from exploitation, but questions remain over whether its proposed pathway to permanent residence provides enough certainty for migrants and their whānau, according to University of Auckland Professor Jay Marlowe.
One of the significant changes proposed by Labour would allow migrant workers to automatically change employers after three months, reducing their dependence on a single employer and potentially making it easier to leave exploitative or unsafe workplaces.
Professor Marlowe, an expert in migrant and refugee issues, says the proposal could address an important vulnerability within the current Accredited Employer Work Visa system, where a worker’s visa conditions are generally linked to a particular employer or employment.
However, he says another part of Labour’s policy deserves closer scrutiny — the proposal to extend the pathway to permanent residence from two years to four years.
Marlowe says the length of time migrants spend without the certainty of permanent residence can affect more than their immigration status. It can influence decisions about careers, housing, education, family life and whether people feel sufficiently secure to put down long-term roots in Aotearoa.
The debate also raises a wider question about the purpose of New Zealand’s immigration system — whether migrants are primarily being brought into the country to meet immediate labour shortages, or whether policy should provide clearer opportunities for those contributing to the economy and their communities to build permanent lives here.
Professor Marlowe joined Waatea to discuss the strengths and weaknesses of Labour’s proposals, what stronger protections could mean for migrant workers, and how immigration policy can balance the needs of the labour market with security, fairness and a genuine sense of belonging.
#Immigration #JayMarlowe #MigrantWorkers #MigrantRights #Labour #Election2026 #AEWV #AccreditedEmployerWorkVisa #WorkerExploitation #PermanentResidence #Whānau #Employment #NZPolitics #Aotearoa #MāoriNews #WaateaNews
