The Minister of Immigration, Jonathan Coleman, has agreed to a review of immigration policies to make it easier for religious workers to enter and work in New Zealand. "Religious leaders are important to the spiritual wellbeing of many New Zealanders," he said, and they "maintain community". NZ is one of the least religious countries in the world. Do we really need more gurus, rabbis, mullahs, priests, monks and imams here in Aotearoa?

Religious workers are apparently classed as "skilled migrants"! Some of them are reported to have come to NZ as preachers until they get Permanent Residency. Once they get PR they have quit to take up an unrelated profession.

The news report can be heard here: http://www.radionz.co...

Submissions on the proposal close on 16 July. (See http://www.beehive.go...)

Is anyone interested in joining with me to make a submission to oppose this? The opportunity to speak up is now!

Hi, I had trouble with the link.

for the mp3 try: this

Thanks for the alternative link, Robert.

Some of the problems I have with the proposal are as follows:

• Religious workers have no real skills to offer - often being unemployable in any other profession. For example, a 2005/2006 survey of 1050 U.S. pastors shows that 75% felt they were unqualified and/or poorly trained by their seminaries to lead and manage the church or to counsel others, and 57% said they would leave if they had a better place to go — including secular work (http://www.intothywor...)
  
  
• Religious workers do not create new jobs or wealth, nor benefit NZ as a whole. Instead they come to this country with the principle aim of spreading their superstition. This is not a constructive or beneficial enterprise.
  
  
• The state should treat religious organisations the same as any other organisation. There is no reason to favour religious groups over others.
  
  
• Cultural groups should be encouraged to integrate with the rest of their communities, not be insular - whereas religion tends to create an in-group/out-group mentality.
  
  
• Religion is not the same as either culture or community! A culture can have many religions, or no religion. Communities can be built around many things such as schools, sports or cultural clubs. To support proud cultures and vibrant communities, for example, people such as chefs, artists, musicians, and dancers could be allowed in who will also contribute to the growing NZ food-service, creative, and tourist industries.
  

Looks like you've got the basics there...

If you need someone to proofread, let me know.

The more I think about this, the crazier it gets. I have read the discussion document and the current list of religions but it will be open to any organization that is a charity in NZ - that could including Jedi, Pastafarians (from the Church of the FSM) or anybody else including Satanists. None of these religions are noted for providing 'well-being' to the community, but I doubt other religions allowed under the rules would be able to show this either.

I also don't get how these workers could show that they "would be competent in their job". Perhaps a simple test of peoples ability to turn water into wine, raise the dead or something might be in order?

The DOL identifies several problems with the current scheme:

• the policy objective is unclear
  
• the temporary entry policy is open to fraud and abuse
  

The proposed change is no different - what is the objective - i.e. the benefit to NZ (ideally backed by evidence) and how would it be any less open to fraud and abuse?

Its is also discussed here with a concern about religions like Scientology being able to bring people in.

I agree with what the others in this discussion have said.

Moreoever, when I read about all the official work that has to be done around this concession to a special category of immigrants who would not get into New Zealand otherwise, I think it would be a waste of time and taxpayer money. And at the end of the day, these "controls" will mean nothing, as the whole system will be open to abuse, lying and misrepresentation - and there will doubtless be appeals and protests and dissatisfaction to deal with as well. That can also be divisive as people take sides.
Spare us this!

This is a secular state, and I would hate this important principle to be undermined in any way. It is one of the cornerstones of peace in any country.

Religious, or other leaders or counsellors, should be drawn from those who are already in the country who are competent in English, and who would hopefully have an understanding of New Zealand society. Surely, the idea of immigrating to New Zealand should be to integrate with this society, and to make a contribution from there. Anything else is divisive and artificial.

We have freedom of religion here - something that is not to be abused as being a platform for the undermining this important freedom.

Thanks for the feedback, folks.

I urge you to put your thoughts on paper (see the links given above) and send them in. The more voices speaking up the better!