New Zealand To Fully Reopen Borders for First Time Since COVID-19 Began
The announcement comes in the backdrop of the government trying to initiate reforms to immigration settings.
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern.
(Photo Courtesy: Twitter)
New Zealand will fully reopen its borders to the world two months earlier than originally planned, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced on Wednesday, 11 May, Reuters reported.
The country had closed off its border in March 2020 to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.
It has recently started reopening itself to some non-New Zealand citizens and residents over the past few months, including Australians and travellers from 60 visa-waiver countries, according to The Guardian.
“This will be welcome news for families, businesses and our migrant communities,” the prime minister told The Guardian on Wednesday.
“It also provides certainty and good preparation time for airlines and cruise ship companies planning a return to New Zealand in the peak spring and summer seasons,” she added.
It wants to attract skilled workers back to the country, and extend visas for migrants who are already in the country.
Getting back international students is also part of the plan.
After all, within the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development), New Zealand is the most reliant on temporary migrant workers.
“We have come through the Covid shock better than almost anywhere in the developed world. Our economy is one of the strongest in the world. New Zealand is in demand and now fully open for business,” Ardern asserted.
(With inputs from Reuters and The Guardian.)
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)