Statistics New Zealand revealed that the annual net migration into the island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean reached 70,000 in the year up to September. It beats the previous yearly record of 69,100, which was touched in the year up to August 2016. This was owing to more number of people arriving in the country and fewer leaving its shores, according to Statistics NZ.

The total number of migrants arriving in the country until September year ending reached 125,600, a growth of six percent compared to the same month in the previous year. The largest number of arrivals was from South Africa, India, China and Australia The number of annual migrant departures declined by three percent from 2015 to 55,700, with those from the United Kingdom and Australia making up for the least numbers.

Citizens of New Zealand leaving their country to live abroad made up for around 60 percent of the total migrant departures. Short-term visitors arriving from foreign countries reached 3.39 million in the year ending July 30. This was on the account of 11 percent increase compared to the previous year as the number of holidaymakers swelled by 17 percent to 1.74 million.

Growing population led to an increased activity and record arrivals of tourists, which has made up for the rural sector’s weak showing caused by the falling dairy prices.

Scoop.co.nz quoted the Treasury as saying in the Budget that annual net migration would reach its highest point in June touching 70,700, before it would fall to the long-term average of 12,000 by June 2019.

Date released on 21 October showed that the number of migrants increased by 2,000 from Australia in the year ending September. The net gain from the neighbouring country is said to have been witnessed for the twelfth consecutive month.

The number of migrants arriving in New Zealand on work visas until the year ending September grew by 10.7 percent to 40,200 compared to the previous year as the number of migrants arriving on work visas increased by 32 percent. Meanwhile, 13 percent, or close to 16,000 migrants, came to the country in the Oceania region with residence visas until the year ending September, a growth of 15 percent compared to the same period in 2015.

The government of New Zealand, meanwhile, announced that it was making the immigration policy stricter for skilled migrants as the number of residence approvals would be brought down to the range of 85,00-95,00 as against the existing range of 90,000-100,000 in the next two years. Most number of people, who came on residence visas in September, belonged to the countries of India, China, the UK and Samoa, Statistics NZ stated. But the number of migrants arriving on student visas fell by five percent to 25,600.

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