A Filipino worker who had been sleeping in his car ever since he lost his job with large labour hire firm ELE has been offered a place to stay — for as long as he needs.
Red Aguhar spoke to 1News last week from the site in West Auckland where he'd been parking his car. During the day, he used a friend's place but slept at night in the back of his vehicle.
He's one of more than 500 Filipino workers made redundant when ELE Group called in receivers on December 20.
But since the news of his plight became public, someone offered Aguhar a place to stay, free of charge, until he can find a job and get his visa sorted.
"It reduces the stress, but it's also feels like a bit of an imposition," he says. "I really need to find a job, so I can send money to the Philippines."
He's one of around 365 migrants registered with Immigration New Zealand as being on a visa tied to his former employer — 317 of these here in New Zealand and 48 offshore.
Figures from the ministry show more than 80 have already been offered new jobs. It has approved 46 requests from workers to change the conditions of their visa to a new employer, another 42 are still being assessed. It's also approved six job checks requests from companies wanting to hire the workers, and an additional seven are under assessment.
According to the Philippine Embassy, there are more than 140 Filipino workers who are permanent residents in addition to those on short-term visas. For them, the process is slightly easier, as they have access to financial support from the Ministry of Social Development and all they need to do is find a job.
But some — such as Christopher Aloot — face the additional burden of having to support families here in New Zealand where the cost of living is higher.
Being granted residency, alongside a full-time job, had given him a sense of security to bring his family here.
"I bring my wife here, my family here, because I have a dream to make a good future," he said.
But just 18 months after signing on with ELE — and with his newborn baby just a few weeks old — the Filipino worker found himself suddenly unemployed and asking how he could care for his family here, where the cost of living is higher than his homeland.
"How can I feed them? My family, they need food, milk, or something else. I want to buy these things but I don't have money."
He's hopeful he'll find a new job soon, but in the meantime, the budget is tight.
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