Migrant News Vol 15 No 3, 2022

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P a g e 1 0 w e b s i t e : w w w . m i g r a n t n e w s . n z I w w w . f a c e b o o k . c o m / w w w . m i g r a n t n e w s . n z I TWITTER : www.twittercom/migrantnews Positive signs Indian students still find NZ an 'attractive destination' By John Gerritsen, RNZ Polytechnics are reporting early signs that the critical Indian market for international students is starting to bounce back. Foreign enrolments all but ceased at the start of the pandemic, reopening fully only at the start of this month. Now tertiary institutions and schools are trying to recruit students and turn thousands of applications into enrolments, most of them for next year. Christchurch Educated partnership manager Stefi Porter said the city would welcome 150 new foreign school students this week and 200 tertiary students next week. She said the region had 12,000 foreign students before the pandemic and it was not yet clear how many it might have next year. Porter said a lot depended on how quickly schools and other organisations could restart their systems for recruiting, enrolling and supporting international students but some Christchurch Educated members were getting a lot of applications. "It's already possibly pre- Covid levels. But it really depends on the provider and how they've been keeping active in the market, whether their target countries have shifted, whether they were able to provide programmes that still have post-study work rights which hugely affect certain markets," she said. "The feedback we're getting from agents is that they're having a huge amount of enquiries to come back to all sorts of levels, which is from primary schools through to tertiary." Unitec and Manukau Institute of Technology deputy chief executive, Pasifika, partnerships and support, Peseta Sam Lotu- Iiga said some students were eager to get to New Zealand. "We had one student who just received confirmation of a visa and then basically flew the next day to attend a course this year rather than waiting for first semester next year so it's those sorts of stories that we know people are keen to come here and study," he said. Lotu-Iiga said the two Auckland polytechnics had received about 1800 applications but regarded only about 1000 of those as "live" because many students applied to several different institutions or countries. He said they expected to enrol about 425 new fulltime foreign students next year, roughly half as many as in pre-Covid-19 times. Concern over Indian students India was the number one market for polytechnics in recent years and there were fears changes to work and residence rights would deter many students. The international director for Toi Ohomai, the Bay of Plenty and Rotorua polytechnic, Peter Richardson said figures from all 16 polytechnics indicated it was still a strong source of students. "India is still looking about 50 percent-plus of our market in terms of applications, so it hasn't changed in terms of the ratio, which we thought it would," he said. Richardson said China was still the second biggest source of applications for polytechnics, but its share had reduced - apparently due to travel restrictions. He said across all 16 polytechnics that comprised the national institute, Te Pukenga, there were about 2500 fulltime foreign students and they expected to have 4500-5000 next year. Waikato Institute of Technology international director Girish Nair visited India last week. He said agents who recruited students were confident there was still a lot of interest in New Zealand. "New Zealand is still a very positive destination for Indian students," he said. Nair said changes to work and residence rights would affect enrolments, but immigration rules were still attractive for people who wanted to enrol in postgraduate courses. "What we're seeing is a shift from those graduate enrolments into now more postgraduate programmes." But he said there could eventually be growth in undergraduate enrolments too. "They've always been known as a postgraduate market largely but with these international schools setting up their bases in India you're seeing the students graduating form those schools wanting to go overseas to study. So in the coming years you are going to see more students wanting to do the degree-level overseas." Nair said it would take a couple of years to rebuild enrolments to pre-Covid levels. 'Pent-up demand' Arun Jacob has been recruiting students from India for New Zealand institutions for 20 years. He said there was a lot of interest from prospective students. "There has been a lot of pent-up demand over the last two years and New Zealand has always remained a very attractive destination for Indian students. We are working 24/7 to try and keep up with the demand," he said. Tighter immigration rules would lead to fewer enrolments by better students. "What's happened with these policy changes is it has separated the grain from the chaff," he said. "After 20 years in the industry I'm really glad to see this." Jacob said Indian students appeared to be less focused on which institution to study at, and more on which course would lead to work and residence pathways. Editor: Published with special permission from RNZ.
w w w . m i g r a n t n e w s . n z I w w w . f a c e b o o k . c o m / w w w . m i g r a n t n e w s . n z I email: migrantnews@xtra.co.nz P a g e 1 1 Experts are concerned New Zealand's second largest and fastest growing ethnic group is falling through the cracks of the health system. Asian Kiwis have the lowest cervical and breast screening rates and are falling behind in engagement with primary healthcare. According to the National Cervical Screening data, screening rates for Asian women averaged 61 percent over the past 15 years - the lowest among all major ethnic groups and far below the national target of 80 percent. Data from the Public Health Association (PHA- NZ) shows breast screening rates in 2020 for Asian women was 58 percent, compared to 73 percent for European, 66 percent for Maori and 74 percent for Pacific women. PHANZ data shows as of July 2022, Asian New Zealanders' enrolment with Asian New Zealanders face 'challenges' in accessing health services - Doctors By LUCY XIA, RNZ GPs is 84 percent, one percent higher than Maori. East Auckland GP Dr Carlos Lam said Asians have been neglected by the health system for a long time. "The perception of Asian people being well off and not having any health issues really needs to change," he said. Dr Lam said there is a lack of culturally and linguistically appropriate resources to help Asian Kiwis access health services. He said many Asian migrants come from countries with no primary health system, and would have challenges engaging with health services in New Zealand. East Auckland resident Dr Renee Liang is a paediatrician and a senior research fellow at the University of Auckland's School of Population Health. Photo: RNZ / Lucy Xia Linda Liu moved to Auckland 14 years ago, but has only been alerted to get smear tests around her pregnancies. For the eight years between her second and third child, the 42-year-old did not have a smear. "I thought only people giving birth will be called to take the test. When I first came to New Zealand, no one told me this." Liu said there is little awareness of the need for regular smears among her friends, and that she would have liked to receive more information. Health researcher and paediatrician Dr Renee Liang is calling for more research and funding into the diverse health needs among the Asian community. "Some of the research questions being asked in these broad surveys of New Zealand health, important as they are, may not adequately capture the experience of the various Asian communities. "And historically, Asian health research has been underfunded, therefore that's followed through into no policy, because there's no information to inform the policy." Dr Liang said advocates have been sounding the alarm on the lack of an Asian health policy for decades. Dr Lifeng Zhou from PHANZ is calling for a national Asian health policy to be created under the new Te Whatu Ora Health New Zealand structure. Dr Zhou said the low rates for sexual health screening and primary health enrolment for Asian Kiwis are worrying and need to be addressed in the current health reforms. He said the lack of a national policy has led to Asian data not being included in health reporting, and in turn led to a lack of understanding of unmet health needs of the diverse group. Dr Zhou said he also wants to see Asian representation in national and regional leadership within Te Whatu Ora. Currently, no Asians have been appointed to Health New Zealand's 51 leadership and interim leadership positions across the country. - Published with special permission from RNZ Operations Manager Grace Ryu (extreme left) leads a team with heart at Asian Health Services. When you’re alone, unwell and don’t speak English, it can create real anxiety and leave you feeling like there is no support available. The Asian Health Services team, which is part of Te Whatu Ora – Waitemata, helps to ensure that people receive the health support they need in a range of languages. Operations Manager Grace Ryu began volunteering at AHS in 2004, and her own experience as a new migrant helped her to understand what others might be going through. “We started with a small team, with lots of volunteers at North asianhealthservices.co.nz Serving the Asian community “from their hearts” Shore and Waitakere Hospital,” she said. “I found it delightful and was very proud to be a volunteer. I learnt so much and making many friends from different backgrounds really enriched my life.” Asian Health Services provides a range of support for migrants and former refugees who have cultural and language barriers, including patient support, mental health services and 24/7 interpreting services that cover up to 90 languages. Arriving in New Zealand as a young migrant, Ryu is all too aware of the struggle and isolation one can experience when moving to a new place. “It can be a very stressful time, settling in a new country. All migrants have a tough time,” she said. “Later, when I was a single mother, my colleagues at Asian Health Services, the Maori Health team and the Pacific Health team next to me at the hospital were so supportive. “They became my New Zealand family and Asian Health Services became my second home.” The support she received motivated her to provide better services for her fellow Asian community across Auckland and she has now been working with Asian Health Services for over 17 years. Her aim is simple: to work towards more equitable healthcare for Asians of all backgrounds. “We work really hard and in such a supportive environment. It’s really great to see all the progress we’ve made to support Asian health and wellbeing,” she said, reflecting on her tenure. “We were – and still are – the only Asian-specific health support service in the entire country.” The pandemic saw her team busier than ever, as the community began coming to them with a plethora of issues, from welfare needs to support for booking vaccinations and setting up vaccine passes. One story out of the many that Ryu remembers, is a single mother who had tested positive for COVID-19 and was home with a newborn baby. “She rang us crying saying that she had nothing. She had no food, no RAT kits, no medicine. She didn’t even have nappies or formula. She was really in a difficult situation as a new mum.” Although a little out of their usual remit, her team worked quickly across the health agency and reached out to a pharmacy and community connectors to help the new mum out. While Asian Health Services operates out of Auckland, the team started receiving calls from across the country including from Palmerston North, Christchurch, Wellington and Dunedin. Her team soon realised that they needed to create a national helpline so everyone could access their services without having to pay calling rates. Ryu said that she feels lucky and proud to have such a hardworking team. “Some days we don’t have enough staff to do it all. But to them it’s more than their job and they do it from their hearts. “Our reward is in people’s feedback. When they say ‘you genuinely helped me/my mother/my father’, that’s our recognition.” If you or someone you know needs health information and support or guidance, Asian Health Services is available Monday – Friday 8:30am -5pm and Saturday and Sunday 9:30am-2pm on 0800 88 88 30. Editor: You can find a range of articles on Settlement Support at: www.migrantnews.nz
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Migrant News Vol 15 No 3, 2022

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