The number of people crossing New Zealand’s border in April 2020 fell to levels last seen in the late 1960s, Stats NZ says.
There were a combined 38,200 arrivals and departures in April 2020, compared with nearly 1.2 million in April 2019.
New Zealand’s border was closed to almost all visitor arrivals just before midnight on March 19, 2020. This was part of the New Zealand government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Since then, daily arrival and departure numbers have dropped substantially.
Provisional data for May and June 2020 show low numbers of arrivals and departures across the New Zealand border each day. Some days had no arrivals and others had no departures. Provisional daily border crossing data are currently being published on the Stats NZ COVID-19 data portal.
Most arrivals New Zealand residents
The total number of arrivals in April 2020 was 6300, down 550,700 compared with April 2019. Most arrivals were short-term travellers, consisting of 4000 returning New Zealand residents and 1700 visitors from overseas. Provisionally there were 700 migrant arrivals.
April 2020 was the first month under full border restrictions imposed by the New Zealand government in response to COVID-19. New Zealand citizens and their families were still able to return, along with other traveller groups granted exemptions from border restrictions.
“Of the 1700 overseas visitors arriving in April 2020, about three-quarters were New Zealand citizens living outside New Zealand,” population indicators manager Tehseen Islam says.
“The remaining one-quarter included family of New Zealand citizens, essential workers and other exempt travellers.”
The total number of departures in April was 32,000, down 588,900 from April 2019. Provisionally there were 700 migrant departures.
“From April 2, 2020, overseas visitors were able to depart if they could find flights out of the country. A number of international governments also arranged flights to help their citizens leave New Zealand during April,” says Tehseen.
Travellers staying longer
Border restrictions and widespread flight cancellations related to COVID-19 meant many people who arrived in New Zealand in recent months were unable to leave.
People arriving in New Zealand over the last year have tended to stay longer than usual, especially those who have arrived since late 2019.
The prolonged stay of arrivals to New Zealand may cause an initial over-estimation of migrant arrivals and net migration for the most recent months, December 2019 to April 2020.
