Do your emigration research thoroughly, things are not always what they seem. Ask yourself – WHY does this country need to sell itself so strongly?
Welcome to the latest story in our very popular Migrant Tales series – hundreds of first hand accounts of the migrant experience of New Zealand.
Today’s account was written by an African PhD student in Christchurch who’d once lived and studied in the UK. They are well placed to make comparisons between continents and countries. Don’t let the scenery and lifestyle propaganda fool you. If New Zealand is so great why does it need the hard sell, why hasn’t the “we’re full” signs gone up, and why does a fifth of its population live overseas?
Here’s why…
“I will be very much sincere to anyone reading my frank feelings – NZ is almost like a 3rd world country except that it is mostly inhabited by people of European heritage who are known to have pioneered great strides in world civilization for centuries.
If you don’t do your research quite well, the general Kiwi propaganda about the country may deceive you to make the mistake of coming to this country just as I did. I am an African who had once lived and studied in the UK and I do understand how bad the place I come from looks like. So I am not here to make comparisons of for one unfriendly person that will come and tell me, “Is it better where you come from?. By western standards, NZ is just a shit country. You can reason how bad my continent is. So for me to tell you don’t ever migrate to NZ even as a white European, you should know that there is a form of credence to how poorly run this nation is.
I only came to this country bcos of the domestic tuition fee that international students are allowed to pay when doing a PhD but I now feel that I should not have been here. After the CHC earthquake, Christchurch became devastated though I will admit that the rebuild is gradually going on even though I don’t have any standard to compare the swiftness of the rebuilt process.
Though I live in CHC, I can generally state the the whole of NZ has no efficient public transport system. If you cannot afford to buy a car and only hoping to come to NZ to try your luck for greener pasture especially for citizens of developing countries, you may be lucky but don’t be too optimistic. A small city like CHC doesn’t even have an efficient bus transport routes so you must be able to afford a car for even menial jobs like cleaning – You may also be ripped off trying to get a driver licence or convert yours. The winter in the country can get to sub zero temperature, yet, I can estimate the almost 80% of houses in NZ have no central heating system. When it rains heavily, some houses even experience some sort of water getting into their houses.
Even if you are a qualified professional, reconsider your options if you have a better place to go to. The average salary is low compared to other developed countries yet the system will want to rip everything from you. What I can understand about the government policy is that they are looking for “already made professionals”, yet very unwilling to train their people talk-less of immigrants. What Kiwis want will be for a one IT professional or a medical doctor to migrate to the country and offer his services for even less pay compared to other oecd countries – common sense should tell us that is very unlikely to happen. No wonder the country is continually suffering from brain drain because even when Kiwis take loan to school and qualify for a career, they migrate out of NZ at the slightest opportunity with little hope of paying back (these are not based on statistics but my feelings).
Let me talk about what I will term the immigrant’s perception of justice and fairness. When it come to NZ, simply forget about that. I will just use the latest “New Zealand first policy” to clarify what I mean here. Some years back, UK government tried to bring about policies that will affect intl students. Even though one way or the other the govt had its way, but there was stiff opposition from Universities and Educations against such policies. They may not have succeeded in stopping the policy in totality but you could see a sense of justice for people at the receiving end of unfavorable policies. But here in NZ, I doubt if Kiwis will even rise if the government decides to take immigrants to the gas chamber once they are told that immigrants are taking their jobs. By August, a new policy that will definitely target international students and make NZ less desirable to travel to for studies will be implemented – I am yet to see any strong opposition from University professors.
Racism? There is no need to talk about that so much since if you are not white in NZ, you are very likely to have a form of racism which may not be all that overt but more like institutional racism. I think much of this hate is directed at the Chinese and rich Asian people who are buying over properties that the average Kiwis cannot afford.
NZ fits a very rich person that wants to spend his or her life at the end of the world and can afford overly expensive houses. So if you are not rich, reconsider your plan even if you are a qualified professional. All those propaganda about the scenery of the country is just to get money from you and do not fall for them.
I have a lot to say be just read the above and make good judgement.”
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A Twitter discussion about this article here: https://twitter.com/E2NZ/status/889979842879291392
E2NZ.org 
The tall poppy syndrome originates from Australia. An already flawed concept
is taken to the next level in New Zealand (the minnow of a minnow) where
anyone who isn’t a shrinking violent can expect to be accosted, albeit
some leeway being granted sports persons – with rugby players adulated – so
long as they maintain a veneer of modesty.
Richie McCaw, ex All Black, is a good humble person and a fantastic sportsman.
Yet he speaks like his voice is discombobulated from his body. And no one gives
a monkeys.
Feel so appalled to see road close, power cut, slips, floods and many other accidents that occur so often in this ‘developed’ country. I feel for the affected but really can do nothing about it.
We start to regret coming as it’s so hard to find suitable jobs here though with skill. Living cost is rising from time to time and no one can do sth. about it. And the racism and bad manners given just because we are foreigners is increasing every day. Only with people with international experiences that we can communicate better.
Whow I am happy that I found this website. We were thinking to start my GIS career in NZ when I get my Master degree in Feb 2018. But when I read all the comments and stories off people that go or turn away we are seriously gonna rethink our strategy and choose another country to start. My job is on the labour shortage list and offcourse that is never a garantuee to an easy job. But I thought this could be a fine start to develop a career and build a life with my wife.
But if everything is expensive: high taxes, high housing rent/ loan, expensive life and poor housing quality and the attitude against foreigners is bad. That is a sinking ship I am afraid.
If you’re prepared to travel into a time warp of 40 years ago, but with internet, then it could be worth your while coming over here. Just don’t forget to bring money. Bring lots of it cause you’re going to need it if you struggle to find proper work. There isn’t many good jobs here and they don’t give them to foreigners. The last thing you want to do is work a shit job to make ends meet.
I wish I’d thought twice before I deciding to move the family here. I fully regret that decision. This country is heartless.
I saw the title of the comment, and the first intro paragraphs, and could not get the reading glasses on my head fast enough. I agree with meh that the gas chamber observation was very interesting. It made me feel cold, because I have had similar thoughts myself.
In regard to imminent threat to our personal safety as immigrants, we do have $50+k in a general savings account, even though we have a $300k mortgage. Sounds crazy? No. Who knows what is going to happen overnight here. Earthquake? Normalised white supremacy? Could be anything.
Totally agree.. People who wants to migrate to other countries should do their study to avoid falling in the pit as what had happened to us. New Zealand had became an expensive country to live on. They should pull their shit together but I think it’s too late now. There’s already a lot of skilled migrant who’s already had gone overseas for better life like doctors, teachers, nurses etc. and there are still skilled people who are still going planning to go overseas for better life. I think they deserve it for they do not value their people but in fairness what I have noticed is that all the people who’s pulling the string are not local or born and bread here in NZ. They are also migrant who had held a position and now are a8@%*#le that running the company. And local kiwis also are fine with it for they are not doing anything to stop it. Well, maybe they do not love their country that is why they are not doing anything. I think ‘She’ll be right attitude’ should stop for once a wonderful country like NZ would be wonderful again,
“But here in NZ, I doubt if Kiwis will even rise if the government decides to take immigrants to the gas chamber once they are told that immigrants are taking their jobs.”
That is a pretty accurate observation! Absolutely agree with you.They love to blame immigrants for everything..
I wonder if they even realize that these immigrants pay taxes as well, and that that pays for the much loved ‘dole/benefit system’ that most of them love to live off?
Surely that helps to compensate for the over 600,000 Kiwis that have left on a one way ticket to Australia and who no longer pay taxes in NZ.
I’m not certain if some Kiwis fully understand what tax even is… I once saw a comment on Facebook article that literally said “What do immigrants contribute towards NZ other than paying taxes? What have they done for NZ in its history and for preserving the Maori culture?” and just cracked up laughing because I couldn’t believe what I was reading. If retarded comments like that are not a blatantly obvious sign that they are on govt benefits, I don’t know what is.