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The entry points system led to
diverse and increased immigration in New Zealand.
During the period from 1971 and 1991 the population
of residents who were foreign-born had gone up by
over a hundred thousand. In the decade that followed
1991 this number increased by almost two hundred
thousand, making up a total of approximately seven
hundred thousand people who live in but were not
born in New Zealand.
Since 1936, the proportion of
immigrants in the country’s total population was one
of the world’s highest by 2001. |
In the next 5 years, the population of residents who
were foreign-born increased to over eight hundred
thousand, over twenty percent of the population.
All throughout the 1990s, the number of Scots and English
decreased, and by the year 2006 those who were born in the
UK were less than a quarter of the total population of
immigrants who were foreign-born. And yet, there were still
a few new arrivals of European ethnic ancestry.
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A handful came who were Australian-born –
some of which were families of repatriating
New Zealanders; others were drawn by work
opportunities in an economy which was trans-Tasman.
By the year 2006, over forty thousand South Africans
came, mostly of white, many unhappy with the changes
in their homeland.
Middle Eastern and North African political crises
brought in people from Iraq, Iran, and Somalia, to
include their unique cultures to New Zealand’s towns
and cities. Several arrived as refugees.
Most
noteworthy were 131 Afghans aboard the Tampa in 2001
that were refused by the Australian government to
land on Australian soil. |
There were more than 16,000 immigrants in New Zealand from
the Middle East and North Africa in 2006.
During this time, Pacific Islanders did not come in great
numbers. The new requirements based on capital, skills, and
education placed them at a disadvantage, and the pressures
of population lessened.
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The only considerable increase came from among those
born in Fiji, where there was substantial political
pressure in the Indian community. By the beginning
of the next century, communities from the Pacific
Island were a vital and large portion of the cities
of New Zealand, particularly in sports teams such as
netball and rugby. But the majority of members were
still New Zealand-born.
The most noteworthy arrival during this time was
from Asia – but not from the usual regions of
Malaysia, Indonesia, Cambodia, Thailand, or Myanmar
which had before been important sources. |
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Hong Kong and China, by 2006, had added over eighty five
thousand to New Zealand’s resident population. Some arrived
to study or to relocate their skills to an uncongested,
cleaner environment.
One more major region of origin, with almost forty thousand
residents, was from North-East Asian countries such as Japan
and Korea. Almost all but a few started coming in as early
as the 1990s and beyond. Many arrived to the city of
Auckland to make financial investments and transfer their
families to a healthy environment.
From 1991 and 2006, the population of Filipinos more than
tripled in size, a high percentage of which being women
espousing Kiwi men.
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