An expectation New Zealand needs to do more to keep people here longer. 

Latest Stats NZ data shows close to 48 thousand New Zealand citizens left in the year to July. 

There were 14 thousand migrant arrivals and nearly 10 thousand departures during the same period. 

Immigration lawyer Marcus Beveridge told Mike Hosking half of the citizens leaving for Australia weren't born here. 

He says the government could look at extending the period new residents have to be here before they become a citizen. 

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