The last batch of Samoan workers this month under New Zealand’s recognised seasonal employer scheme flew out of the country last Saturday on the last charter flight for January.

Their departure marks the departure of the last batch of Samoan workers to return to New Zealand under the R.S.E. scheme.

Families and friends went to the Faleolo International Airport to bid farewell to their family members who were travelling.

The group that flew to New Zealand last Saturday went on the last of four chartered flights for the month of January. This last cohort will join more than 500 Samoan workers who left for New Zealand on 17, 21 and 25 of January to bring the total number of workers already in New Zealand to more than 600. 

The workers who departed on the first charter flight should already be out of quarantine while those who went on the second, third and final charter flight are still in quarantine. 

All the Samoan seasonal workers will undergo 14 days quarantine at designated facilities in New Zealand where they will also be paid for the duration of their quarantine period.

In a statement issued by New Zealand High Commission in Apia, the High Commission said the joint collaborative effort of the New Zealand and Samoa Governments enabled the success of four groups of Samoan workers to travel to New Zealand despite concerns raised in connection with the COVID-19 global pandemic.

"A mammoth combined effort by the Governments of Samoa and New Zealand enabled four large groups of Samoan R.S.E. workers to travel to New Zealand over the last two weeks,” states the High Commission’s statement. “The last cohort arrived in Aotearoa tonight, bringing the total number of R.S.E. workers to depart Samoa since 17 January 2021 to an impressive 620-plus (which is) a truly outstanding team effort!”

The four large groups of Samoan R.S.E. workers who travelled to New Zealand over the last two weeks are the first four groups to have left Samoa in the wake of the COVID-19 global pandemic which led to travel restrictions and international border closures. 

An additional 151 workers will travel on 26 February and will be the last group confirmed to participate in the scheme for this year.