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How Tonga Aids New Zealand

The New Migration

page 6

The New Migration

The new migratory movement from Tonga to New Zealand is of very recent origin, and has only reached its present ‘flood-level’ in the past two years. The Tongan Ministry of Labour recently commissioned a survey to establish the number of Tongans travelling overseas. The following tables were drawn up and while they may not be fully accurate they do give an indication of the dimensions of the phenomenon:-

Estimates of Tongans Going Abroad For All Reasons By Country
Year N.Z. U.S.A. Fiji A/Samoa Aust. Other Total
1969 530 400 340 230 120 80 1,700
1970 590 1,000 300 160 80 90 2,220
1972 3,710 640 760 370 150 210 5,840
1973 4,870 480 680 370 140 140 6,870

NOTE: Roughly 30% of all visitors to New Zealand travelled on ‘old’ (one year or older) passports.

Estimates of Purpose of Overseas Travel
Year Visit Student4 Emigrant4 Total
1969 1,280 310 110 1,700
1970 1,640 440 140 2,220
1972 5,370 200 270 5,840

NOTE: Figures do not account for Tongans remaining overseas for a period longer than one year.

1. estimated from new passport data and total visa applications, 1973

2. estimated from new passport data only

3. includes crew members of Tongan vessels

4. estimates from new passport data only.

The survey points out that ‘the data support what is generally known, that New Zealand is a particularly desirable place to visit for purposes of temporary employment’.

‘Analysis of travellers by age and sex revealed that 93.6% of all travellers were between the ages of 15 and 59. Therefore it can be estimated that about 11.6% of all Tongans in this age group went overseas last year (1973). As 77.9% of the travellers were males, then about 17.5% of all males, aged 15–59, were overseas. Of this number, 3,550 or 12.4% of the total male labour force visited New Zealand in 1973.

‘Tongans working abroad, especially those in New Zealand, compose a number (whether considered on a three month or yearly basis) second only to agriculture as a source of employment.’

New Zealand Immigration Department statistics on the issue of visitors' permits may page 7 serve as a check on these figures. According to the N.Z. Immigration Department 400 Tongans were issued with such permits in the year ending 31st March, 1967. In the year ending 31st March, 1973, 3,171 permits were issued, and for the year ending 31st March, 1974, the figure was 4,367. Whatever the exact figures, there has clearly been a radical increase in emigration to New Zealand.