Auckland: In what appears to be a major immigration scandal, another seven Indians in transit in New Zealand en route to Australia for the week-long World Youth Day festivities have gone missing, taking their total to 39.

The seven pilgrims, aged between 17 and 35, have left their host families and gone missing in Auckland and the Bay of Plenty region.

"Immigration New Zealand is investigating allegations that the disappearance of the pilgrims is part of an immigration scam. It cannot comment further on this at this stage," said a statement released Tuesday by New Zealand's Department of Labour, which is in charge of immigration.

New Zealand Sikh Society spokesperson Daljit Singh told Radio New Zealand he understood that at least 12 of the missing people had paid Rs.500,000 (NZ$15,000) to agents in India who they claim had promised them residency in New Zealand, but were shocked when they were handed short-term visas on arrival.

Daljit Singh said he had managed to make contact with two of the missing pilgrims and a further three had been in contact with other members of the Indian community in New Zealand.

The initial plan was for them to pay a deposit which would get them multiple visas for a month. They were to travel to Auckland and then to Sydney before returning to India with 15 days left on their visas. The agent would then require another Rs.500,000 before they travelled back to New Zealand and this time to stay as long as they wanted.