The New Zealand government has launched a comprehensive probe into the alleged case of exploitation of 115 Indian and Bangladeshi nationals who arrived in the country with the promise of employment that did not materialise, reports The Times of India.

These individuals were accommodated in properties that were not fit to house so many people. The conditions of the accommodation were unhygienic, unsanitary, and inappropriate, New Zealand Immigration stated. The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) has commenced an ‘in-depth and comprehensive investigation’ into the case, it said last week.

Despite paying significant sums of money, ranging from USD 15,000 to USD 40,000 to various agents for their visas and related jobs, most of these workers were not provided with any paid employment, news portal rnz.co.nz reported. The Indian High Commission has been engaged to provide support to their nationals, the immigration authority said. According to a report in The New Zealand Herald newspaper, the Accredited Employer Work Visa scheme already has 164 active investigations after complaints of worker exploitation and breaches. The scheme, established in July last year, has approved nearly 81,000 visas among about 27,900 accredited employers. It was meant to counter exploitation by ensuring employers were viable and treated their employees fairly, with pre- and post-accreditation checks, it said.

Immigration Minister Andrew Little has ordered an urgent independent review of how the scheme is being operated after “serious concerns” were raised by a whistleblower last week that checks of potential accredited employers were not being carried out.