Community leaders representing New Zealand's ethnic communities have condemned the ACT Party's latest immigration proposals as "inhuman," escalating tensions over the coalition government's hardline stance on immigration.
The backlash, reported by RNZ, reveals growing fractures between the government and the migrant communities that make up a significant portion of NZ's population.
"Inhuman" is not a word community leaders throw around lightly. When people who have built lives, businesses, and families in New Zealand use that language, it's worth paying attention to what's actually being proposed.
The ACT Party, led by David Seymour, is the junior partner in Prime Minister Christopher Luxon's coalition government. But ACT's influence has been outsized, particularly on immigration, law and order, and economic policy. The party's libertarian ideology on economics pairs with a hardline approach to immigration that critics say targets migrant communities.
This isn't the first time ACT's immigration rhetoric has drawn fire. The party has previously called for dramatic cuts to immigration numbers, tougher English language requirements, and stricter criteria for family reunification—policies that ethnic community leaders say would split families and create a two-tier system.
New Zealand has long prided itself on its multicultural society and relatively welcoming immigration system compared to Australia and other Western countries. But the political winds have shifted, with both major parties moving right on immigration amid housing shortages and economic pressures.
The coalition government has already tightened visa rules, made it harder for migrants to bring family members, and ramped up deportations. ACT's latest proposals appear to go further, though specific details remain unclear.
Ethnic community leaders are warning that these policies will damage New Zealand's reputation internationally, make it harder to attract skilled workers, and create fear among existing migrant communities about their status and rights.
Mate, when the people who chose to make New Zealand their home are using words like "inhuman" to describe government policy, that should be a wake-up call. Immigration policy needs to be thoughtful and sustainable, sure. But it also needs to be, well, human.
