Originally from Kerala in India, Binu Antony and his wife Sajimi Maliakkal Paul are exactly the migrants countries worldwide are seeking: qualified nurses.
After spending two years in Christchurch, the family has been based in Dunedin for 11 years, and both husband and wife work at Dunedin Hospital.
While both parents have been balancing their work on busy hospital wards with caring for their young family, Mr Antony has recently had the added stress of working on the dedicated Covid-19 ward at the hospital.
"It was a cardiothoracic ward but it was transformed into a Covid ward," he said.
"We felt the pressure of me being on that ward because it meant as a family that we could not go out or have someone come to see us ... It was an important job and we had to be flexible about everything.
"It was a new thing for us, Covid, and we were learning about it and what we had to do every day, but we managed and I think that we are doing good."
Deciding to become New Zealand citizens was a difficult decision due to parental and family ties to India, but a strong Keralan community in Dunedin had helped the family make the city home, Mr Antony said.
"There are educational opportunities here and the children were born here."
Other new citizens.—
Yousef Khaled Abs, Ibrahim Yousef Abs, Ahlam Ziad Safar, Shahla Ahmad Al Arab, Jawaher Manhal Alhallak, Souad Manhal Alhallak, Manhal Ahmed Alhallak (Syrian Arab Republic/Lebanon); Carrie Angela Racelis Dator, Karen Lou Imelda Racelis Dator, Erwin Joseph jun Tan Dator, Craig Angelo Racelis Dator (Philippines); Matthew Charles Gatenby, Rita Mary Handley, Michael Peter Handley, Andrew Duncan Slater (United Kingdom); Kasheful Hoda, Tunazzina Iqbal (Bangladesh); Nasrudheen Kappadan, Binu Meenattoor, Adiah Meenattoor, Sharanya Nair (India/New Zealand); Young Ye, Youn Choul (Korea); Tania Kuhn, Zia Wagener (South Africa); Liming Li, Sihong Lin (China); Wei Xheng Woo (Malaysia); Jui-hua Lin (Taiwan); Ronglei Sophia Liu (United States).
