Immigration consultants are concerned an increase in the number of declined applications for people hoping to move here could be linked to computer profiling.
Photo: RNZ
RNZ revealed this week the profiling set up by Immigration New Zealand uses age, gender and ethnicity of immigrants to predict which people could get involved in crime or go on to welfare benefits.
The Association for Migration and Investment says this sort of profiling "borders on racial prejudice".
Its chair, June Ranson, said there had been an increase in the number of applications turned down in the past six months related to the profiling.
"Finding out that it actually has in fact been in operation for 18 months, this is why a greater number of people are in fact being deported.
"But we do believe it is unfair because it is making a person being found guilty when they have not done anything wrong."
Ms Ranson said decisions on immigration applications needed to be made on the particular facts of the case, rather than on any profiling.