NZ won't cap migrant work force
New Zealand will not follow Britain in limiting the number of migrant workers coming into the country, says Immigration Minister Jonathan Coleman. The British Government is expected to impose a temporary limit on the number of migrant workers from outside the European Union, before a planned permanent cap. Dr Coleman said skilled migrants brought skills New Zealand needed to grow the economy and the country could not afford to block people with skills "we are permanently short of". "We've always matched our temporary permits to the demands of certain occupation, and the system has always worked well for New Zealand and is constantly being reviewed," he said. Dr Coleman said he had not been briefed on the details of the British changes and could not comment on how the migration cap could affect New Zealanders wanting to move to or work in the UK.