April 3 (Bloomberg) -- New Zealand First, the political party led by the nation's Foreign Minister Winston Peters, is targeting Asian immigration to boost support before this year's general election, the Dominion Post reported.

A flood of Asian immigration risked forming mini-societies that may heighten division, said the party's deputy leader Peter Brown, according to the newspaper.

The party, which supports Helen Clark's government, is polling below the 5 percent threshold it needs to get any seats under New Zealand's system of proportional representation, the Dominion said.

New Zealand's Asian population may almost double to 790,000 by 2026, the government statistician said yesterday.

To contact the reporter on this story: Gavin Evans in Wellington at gavinevans@bloomberg.net

Last Updated: April 2, 2008 15:43 EDT