Auckland (Avneet Kaur)
New Zealand First leader Winston Peters has accused the Government of quietly introducing tougher immigration settings for Indian nationals under the New Zealand–India Free Trade Agreement (FTA), alleging the changes were being kept low-profile because of concerns over how India might react.
Speaking during Parliament’s debate on the legislation implementing the landmark trade agreement, Peters claimed ministers had publicly celebrated the deal while privately approving immigration measures that specifically target Indian citizens.
He said New Zealand First had opposed the inclusion of immigration provisions in the FTA from the outset, arguing that the agreement should have remained focused solely on trade rather than migration.
“This is a trade agreement, not a migration pact,” Peters told Parliament.
According to Peters, documents and official briefings received by his party indicate Immigration New Zealand officials warned the Government that introducing India-specific restrictions could have significant consequences for bilateral relations, New Zealand’s international reputation and even expose the country to potential legal challenges.
He alleged officials had also discussed the importance of not publicly announcing the proposed immigration changes immediately because of concerns about India’s likely response.
Peters claimed the proposed settings would apply only to Indian nationals and not to citizens from other countries that have free trade agreements with New Zealand, including China, South Korea and Thailand.
Among the measures he referred to were restrictions preventing partners of certain Indian temporary work visa holders from automatically receiving work rights or domestic student status, excluding work experience gained under those visas from being counted towards skilled residence applications, preventing visa holders from using their time in New Zealand to meet residence work-experience requirements, and requiring applicants to apply for the visas from outside New Zealand.
He argued these measures amounted to discriminatory treatment and questioned why Indian professionals, including chefs, information technology specialists and traditional Indian health practitioners, should be treated differently from workers entering New Zealand under other free trade agreements.
Peters warned that if implemented, the measures could undermine one of New Zealand’s most significant recent trade agreements before its full economic benefits are realised.
He also claimed officials had specifically advised ministers that imposing more restrictive immigration settings on India alone could negatively affect trade relations and New Zealand’s reputation as a reliable international partner.
During his speech, Peters repeatedly challenged both National and Labour MPs, questioning whether they had been fully briefed on the immigration implications of the agreement before supporting the legislation.
He called on Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, Trade Minister Todd McClay and Immigration Minister Erica Stanford to publicly explain why Indian nationals would face different immigration settings compared with citizens of other FTA partner countries.
The New Zealand–India Free Trade Agreement, signed earlier this year, has been described by both governments as a historic milestone expected to boost two-way trade, reduce tariffs and create new opportunities across sectors including agriculture, manufacturing, education and services.
The legislation required to implement the agreement is currently progressing through Parliament.
The Government has not publicly responded to the specific allegations raised by Peters during the parliamentary debate.
