Does New Zealand have a responsibility to address a problem it's created by snapping up seasonal workers from the Pacific?

How a financial win/win situation over seasonal workers turned into a loss for Pacific Island nations watching their citizens leave for richer pastures

One issue that all the leaders of the coalition government have agreed on is the expansion of the Recognised Seasonal Employer (RSE) scheme.

Established in 2007, the RSE scheme allows workers from participating Pacific countries to come to New Zealand to take up roles on a short-term basis.

For the government, it's a golden solution to address critical labour shortages in some sectors.

Whereas for workers from the Pacific, the ability to earn four or five times more overseas to provide for their families is too good of an opportunity to pass up.

Professor Regina Scheyvens (right) says those the scheme views as 'unskilled' workers can be critical sectors of Pacific countries.

Everybody wins, right?

Well, not really.

The co-director of Massey University's Pacific Research and Policy Centre, Professor Regina Scheyvens, says there hasn't been enough attention paid to the economic and social losses for the Pacific as a result of the scheme.

Professor Scheyvens says those the scheme views as 'unskilled' workers can be critical sectors of Pacific countries.

"Many of the people for a start are highly skilled in agriculture and are very skilled in providing food security of their families at home in the Pacific island countries that should not be underestimated.

"If you can actually provide your own family with healthy food from your own land from the vanua and you can also sell food in the market, that can be a good livelihood but it's also contributing to your country's food security. We've all lived through covid lockdowns and border closure times so we know that can't rely on food supply chains from overseas .... so food security shouldn't be underestimated.

When border restrictions were lifted post-covid, New Zealand and Australia took in 48,000 seasonal workers from the Pacific. However, for the islands, there was a noticeable loss of skilled workers.

"At one stage Samoa was pushing back when they realised how many mathematics teachers they had lost to the scheme," Scheyvens says.

"Mechanics, bank-tellers, airport control tower staff .... all sorts of people." …

Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details