New Zealand to open one-way travel for workers from some Pacific nations

FILE PHOTO: New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern participates in a televised debate with National leader Judith Collins at TVNZ in Auckland, New Zealand, September 22, 2020. Fiona Goodall/Pool via REUTERS

WELLINGTON (Reuters) - New Zealand will open up one-way quarantine-free travel for seasonal workers from Samoa, Tonga and Vanuatu to address labour shortages in the horticulture industry, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said on Monday.

The quarantine-free arrangement is expected to start from September, Ardern said at a news conference. It will only be available to workers who qualify under the Recognised Seasonal Employer scheme, which allows the horticulture sector to recruit labour from overseas for seasonal work when there are not enough New Zealand workers.