Migrant Family in New Zealand Bullied and Exploited

Here’s a migrant family in Ashburton, according to latest immigration news, that’s really been through the wringer. It’s the kind of story that makes you wonder what’s going on with the systems in place to protect people.

Their son, a Year 9 student at Ashburton College, was attacked in class last month – left with a fractured eye socket, neck injury, and a concussion. It wasn’t just a playground scuffle, it was a serious assault. And yet, the family says they’ve heard nothing from the school about what action’s being taken, or from the police. The boy’s still recovering, and it’s unclear when he’ll even be able to return to school. For a family trying to settle into a new country, this is a nightmare they didn’t see coming.

On top of that, the family says they were exploited at work. They were part of the Accredited Employer Work Scheme but left their jobs two months ago, claiming they were being paid well below the minimum wage – $15 an hour when it should’ve been at least $23.15. Not only that, they allege they weren’t paid for 400 hours of work. When they left, they say they were kicked out of their rental because it was connected to their employer.

Now, they’ve lodged a complaint with the Ministry of Business, Innovation, and Employment, and while that’s being investigated, they’ve been granted a migrant exploitation protection visa. Immigration NZ says they’ve received one complaint about the employer, but no further details are available because the investigation is ongoing.

The family, understandably, just want justice. They never expected to be in this situation when they came to New Zealand. Thankfully, they’ve had support from local organisations like Safer Mid Canterbury, the Salvation Army, and St Vincent de Paul, but it’s a tough road ahead for them.

It’s hard to ignore stories like this because they raise real questions about how we treat migrant workers and how effectively the system responds when things go wrong. You’d hope this is a one-off, but sadly, it feels like we hear these kinds of stories far too often.