A full-day job matching event took place in South Auckland Wednesday to help a large group of South Asian migrants scammed out of thousands of dollars for the promise of work in New Zealand.

The group of 146 migrants from India and Bangladesh are on accredited employer work visas (AEWV) and have been living in overcrowded houses in Auckland with no work for months.

The full-day event organised by the Ministry of Social Development (MSD) took place at the Māngere Memorial Hall…

Advocate Anu Kaloti said some workers had already been offered jobs and others had been shortlisted.

"It's good to see and we're very thankful and appreciative for the goodhearted and genuine employers."

Kaloti said other workers in similar situations were also asking for job matching support and living assistance which the government had offered to this cohort.

An employer at the event, the recruitment company Accordant Group, said it was happy to help the South Asian workers…

Immigration New Zealand would not say whether it would consider extending the job support to other migrants affected by AEWV-related fraud.

It said it was concentrating on this cohort of Indian and Bangladeshi workers…