Unlike in the movies, life in New Zealand is no fairy tale, an organization of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in New Zealand said Friday, warning Filipinos planning to work in the recession-hit country.

In a statement, the Migrante Aotearoa New Zealand said hundreds of Filipinos and other skilled migrants in New Zealand have been laid off because of the global financial crisis.

“The group advised Filipinos who might be attracted to apply for the new Silver Fern Visa effective April 2010 to be aware that many skilled migrants under the Work-to-Residence (WTR) scheme failed to get employment under the present economic climate in New Zealand,” said Dennis Maga, national coordinator of Migrante Aotearoa.

New Zealand’s WTR scheme is a popular way of qualifying for residence, as successful applicants are able to use a temporary work visa or permit as a step towards settling in the country permanently.

The group issued the warning even as it urged presidential aspirants to present policies that would stop driving Filipinos to work abroad amid the global financial crunch, which has caused Filipinos to lose jobs abroad.