61460 (2024). Ricardo Menéndez March to the Minister of Immigration

61460 (2024). Ricardo Menéndez March to the Minister of Immigration: How many, if any, accredited businesses have had their accreditation removed following a complaint regarding migrant exploitation made through through the 0800 helpline or the web form introduced in 2021 in each quarter since 2022?

Hon Erica Stanford: I am advised that an employer's accreditation can be revoked for a range of reasons including liquidation, no longer genuinely operating a business, being added to either the Employer or Immigration stand down list, non-compliance with immigration or employment law and post accreditation checks. The majority of revocations are due to liquidation and as at 25 September 2024, of the 496 revocations that have occurred since the Accredited Employer Work Visa opened in 1 May 2022, a total of 285 (57%) were due to liquidation. When the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) identifies concerns regarding possible breaches of accreditation standards, the employer’s accreditation may initially be suspended if the case is being investigated. Revocations due to liquidation will not be investigated but all other cases may be. Reports or complaints of exploitation are not a specific reason for the revocation of an employer’s accreditation, however, concerns regarding possible breaches may have been identified through one. To identify whether there was a report or complaint of migrant exploitation for an employer where the accreditation has been revoked; how that report or complaint was received; or whether there was an investigation, Immigration New Zealand would need to manually review each revocation.