Man found to have deceived a migrant worker with false job offer
An employer in New Zealand has been sentenced to more than 14 years' imprisonment for serious criminal offending against two foreign workers.
The Napier District Court sentenced the employer, 46, to 14 years and two months of imprisonment for rape and unlawful sexual connection, according to Immigration NZ.
Concurrently, he will also serve two years in jail for migrant exploitation and another three years for stupefying.
The man, at the time of his offence, was the director and shareholder of a company sourcing and providing labour to the horticultural sector in Hawke's Bay, Gisborne, and Manawatū regions.
One of his victims is a Vietnamese woman who is half his age and arrived in New Zealand in 2023, Radio New Zealand reported, citing court documents.
The court found that the man deceived her with a false job offer when he wanted a sexual relationship with her. According to the court, he coerced and financially trapped the woman for two months, during which he raped her multiple times.
The second victim is a South American woman who he drugged and raped after promising to help her with a work visa, according to the RNZ report.
Immigration NZ said one of the victims came forward to them with concerns about migrant exploitations exploitation, which led to the investigation from the agency and the New Zealand Police.
"This outcome shows the tireless work of investigators and determination of both teams to hold [the man] accountable for his actions," said Jason Perry, National Manager Immigration Investigations, in a statement.
Perry added that Immigration NZ takes all allegations of exploitation and criminal offences seriously and urged anyone who may have been a victim to come forward.
Protecting migrant workers
The New Zealand government has been taking steps to protect migrant workers from exploitation.
In 2024-25, it issued 121 infringement notices to 118 employers, with the total amount of penalties reaching NZ$395,000.
Infringement notices are issued to employers who commit immigration violations. These notices may include fines of NZ$1,000 for an individual, or NZ$3,000 for organisations.
The notices may also lead to a loss of accredited employer or Recognised Seasonal Employer status, and a ban from supporting further visas for migrant workers for a period of time.
