The Government has agreed to pay for repatriation flights for stranded immigrants who cannot afford to buy tickets to their home countries.
The Department of Internal Affairs and the Red Cross will first assess whether temporary visa holders can fund their own return travel, or if their embassy will assist.
The Association for Migration and Investment says that estimates on how many people may take up the offer are in the region of 7000 people.
They include workers who have lost their jobs and visitors whose funds have dried up.
Immigration New Zealand does not say how much it will cost but stresses the money will have to be repaid if immigrants want to return to New Zealand in the future.
"In exceptional cases, INZ is assisting with the payment of repatriation costs for individuals who are assessed as eligible for assistance by the Department of Internal Affairs under the DIA/Red Cross Foreign Nationals Support Programme," a spokesperson said.
"Under the programme, DIA provides information to people who are assessed as being in hardship about the potential for INZ to help them with the cost of their travel home, if they cannot meet these costs themselves and are unable to obtain assistance from their home country, High Commission or Consulate."
The spokesperson said INZ had limited funds to use on the initiative and tickets would also be limited by how many flights were available as well as any transit or entry requirements for the return to a migrant's home country, and whether they hold a valid travel document.
"Individuals who receive repatriation assistance will have to repay the cost of that travel before being issued another visa to return to New Zealand."
RNZ
