Welfare limbo? Social welfare and citizenship debates about New Zealanders living in Australia

For most of the twentieth century, New Zealanders could cross the Tasman Sea freely to live and work in Australia, with access to citizenship and social welfare benefits, similar to those enjoyed by Australians who moved to New Zealand. Migration was not difficult as the systems were similar. From 2001, however, while Australians living in New Zealand could still gain access to citizenship with social welfare benefits, many New Zealanders moving to live in Australia have been unable to become citizens and, despite paying taxes, cannot receive some social welfare benefits or have rights to permanent residence. Effectively, they are in welfare limbo. Clearly, Australian political processes drove changes to welfare eligibility for New Zealanders living in Australia. This ‘limbo’ raises the question, however, as to whether New Zealand governments could have done more to protect the rights of New Zealanders living in Australia. This intriguing social issue has implications for other similar close nations in the Commonwealth managing political tensions and social prejudices in integrating supranational entities.