Ten migrants scammed out of thousands of dollars for visas have been stopped at the border and turned around, and almost 200 others have been told not to travel to New Zealand.

The migrants were promised jobs with a handful of employers that are now being investigated over the mistreatment of 115 migrant workers from India and Bangladesh…

Immigration New Zealand (INZ) said it had contacted 193 people with visas linked to these employers under investigation, and advised them not to come to New Zealand at this time…

Advocate Mandeep Singh Bela said those migrants turned away on arrival, and those told not to come, were in a difficult position…

…the workers have their visas tied to employers that are labour hire companies…

Immigration advisor Katy Armstrong said it was not coincidence that the increase in labour hire companies happened at a time when accreditation checks were looser than ever…

Armstrong said for migrants, being tied to a single employer already creates vulnerabilities, but being tied to an employer that is a labour hire company is "double jeopardy" as the jobs can be speculative.