Migrant communities involved in a "meet and greet" with Judith Collins have discussed losing international students, the ever-changing stance on immigration by the current government, families split up due to Covid-19 and putting on hold offshore visas.
Organised by the Multicultural Youth Association of Canterbury, the meeting took place at the North New Brighton Community Centre on Thursday July 30.
The National Party's Ethnic Communities spokesperson Kanwaljit Singh Bakshi opened up the event by asking those in the room why Labour tagline was "Let's keep moving." The answer? Because "Crusher Collins" is coming, Bakshi said.
Collins told those attending the meeting that National would make parliament more migrant-friendly if it "got in".
"National absolutely supports migrants... We are all the children of migrants or migrants ourselves, even Māori who came on waka," Collins said.
Multicultural Youth Association of Canterbury President Mahfuzur Rahman said he was frustrated with the government's stance on immigration.
He pleaded with Collins to push the current government to extend visas for some of the 42,000 migrant workers, who had been sent home from New Zealand during Covid-19.
The issue of migrant families being split up across borders was discussed at the meeting.
National Party candidates Dale Stephens for Christchurch, Lincoln Platt for Christchurch East and Hamish Campbell for Wigram were also present at the meeting.
