Migrants Workers Association (MWA) of Aotearoa organized two rallies, in Auckland and in Wellington, over the weekend, to highlight the plight of work visa holders, both onshore and offshore. The main demands raised during the protests were:

• All temporary visa holders stranded offshore are given visa extensions equal to the duration of border closure

• All visas attached to employers are opened so that migrants have the flexibility to work wherever they can find jobs

• Emergency benefits are provided to all jobless migrants onshore and offshore by enacting section 64 of the Social Security Act

• Visa processing delays are minimised with immediate effect
  

Some quotes from the rally in Auckland’s Aotea Square:

"Can the plight of a brown mother be different from the plight of a white mother?" - Rumi, a migrant mother unable to meet her child

“I use to say New Zealand is the land of new zeal. But where is that zeal now?” - A D Singh

“Even before the Covid-19 pandemic, many migrants took to the streets to oppose Immigration New Zealand’s unacceptably long visa processing times. The issue of visa processing delays still remains largely unresolved.” - Anu Kaloti, President of MWA

“Be kind. That’s a lie.” - Joe Carolan

“We should always remember the power of protests.” - Bharti Kaloti

-Gaurav Sharma

- This story first appeared in The Indian News. The original story is posted here.