Immigration New Zealand's working on picking up immigrants who have overstayed their visa, following a surge.  

New figures estimate there's 21 thousand overstayers in the country, up from 14 thousand in 2017.  

The Government's also cracking down on immigrants who commit serious crimes and could deport them if they've been here under 20 years, instead of the current 10. 

Immigration New Zealand Compliance General Manager Steve Watson told Mike Hosking they still pick up on overstayers, even if they're not criminals. 

He says they quickly speak to people staying past their visas, and they usually depart quickly and easily. 

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