“I see it as a ticking bomb beyond an employment issue that cannot simply be resolved or addressed within the employment sector. It is a social issue, it is a bigger issue for New Zealand,” she said.

Moncur told The Detail of the death threats and abuse she has received from agents after complaints from workers.

“I’m exposing a sector that generates millions of dollars in a matter of a year,” she said. “People who receive financial benefits from such operations, definitely they’re not happy.”

Mandeep Singh Bela, from the Union Network of Migrants, has been helping a group of 40 men crammed into one house. Stories of their terrible work and living conditions have alarmed other would-be migrants, he said.

“Since this news broke, I’ve been flooded with messages and calls. Even migrants who are planning to enter the country, they’ve been contacting to see if their employment agreements are genuine.”

Bela said dodgy employers have agents offshore who target vulnerable and desperate people.

“For a lot of these migrants they feel that yeah, it’s a genuine thing. They don’t doubt it because they see that their visa is approved by Immigration New Zealand, that they have a job offer in writing, they feel that everything is legitimate and when they come here is actually the opposite.”

Immigration lawyer Alastair McClymont explains how some employers are abusing the Accredited Employer Work Visa, which has become the key work visa policy for filling labour shortages in New Zealand.

In their application for accreditation, employers only have to say they’re profitable – even though they may only be making $1 in profit.

“What Immigration New Zealand may be seeing is that they have not made a loss,” McClymont said. 

“They’re then applying for 10 job tokens, for 10 new workers to come in. It’s going to cost them $60,000 for each of the workers.”

But McClymont said the employer may have pocketed up to $200,000 by selling the job tokens to the agent, who then on-sells them to the would-be migrant worker.

“These people suddenly arrive and the employers don’t have the work, or the money, to pay the $600,000 in salaries.”

McClymont said those financially insecure employers would have been declined under the old visa system. But he says Immigration New Zealand can’t be blamed when it doesn’t have enough staff.

“Fundamentally it’s a resourcing issue. I am sure Immigration New Zealand is not enjoying seeing these stories being reported in the media and I’m sure that they would like to verify every application they get but they simply don’t have the resources.”

Earlier this month, the Immigration Minister ordered a review of the Accredited Employer Work Visa scheme.

At the time, the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment said it supported the review.

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RNZ