Chandigarh
21 June 2021
DIVYA AZAD
More than 1000 people who normally live in NZ were stuck outside the country in March when the Labour Party-led government imposed draconian border restrictions in response to the pandemic. A rough estimate that 1,000 work visa holders have been stuck in India for 18 months. Some have been separated from family members in New Zealand. Many have lost their jobs and are in severe hardship.
On Monday , more than 100 people protested and formed human chain . Protest organiser Jagdeep Dhillon said they called on the New Zealand government to give all temporary visa holders visa extensions equal to the duration of the border closure, and to allow all workers normally resident in NZ to return.
Tens of thousands of NZ citizens have returned from overseas during the pandemic. On arrival, they are required to spend two weeks in a quarantine hotel. We have already been vaccinated and also agree to accept mandatory govt quarantine on arrival. We can’t get jobs in India as our all documents are lying at New zealand,