NZ moves to deter people smuggling
BernamaPublished: Apr 30, 2012 8:38 AM | Updated: Apr 30, 2012 8:39 AM
The New Zealand government will introduce legislation aimed at deterring people smuggling.
The New Zealand government will introduce legislation aimed at deterring people smuggling.
Immigration Minister Nathan Guy said in Wellington that the government wants to send a strong message that New Zealand is not a soft touch for people smugglers, Xinhua news agency reported today.
He believes the country is a target for dangerous and mass arrivals by boat and needs to be better prepared.
“An amendment to the Immigration Act will allow mass arrivals to be detained under a group warrant, rather than each person having to be dealt with individually,” he added.
“This means Immigration New Zealand will be able to focus on managing immediate risks, rather than being tied up in paperwork and clogging up the courts,” he said.
A mass arrival would likely include people whose identities are unknown or in doubt, so it is necessary to use detention to manage the security risks,” he added.
Other policy changes would mean a claimant’s refugee status would be reassessed three years after it was first determined, with permanent residence granted only if the reassessment was approved.
Tighter controls on family reunification rules would mean refugees who did gain residence after three years could only sponsor their immediate family members to join them in New Zealand, but not extended family members.
“There are appropriate channels for genuine refugees to use. We cannot start accepting boat loads of people - we need to deter them before they take to sea.
“This legislation is not about punishing people with a genuine claim for refugee status. It’s about sending a strong message that queue jumpers won’t be tolerated, and people smugglers will not be rewarded.”
Guy says New Zealand remains committed to fulfilling its international good citizen obligations by accepting an annual quota of up to 750 refugees mandated by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.
- Bernama
Immigration Minister Nathan Guy said in Wellington that the government wants to send a strong message that New Zealand is not a soft touch for people smugglers, Xinhua news agency reported today.
He believes the country is a target for dangerous and mass arrivals by boat and needs to be better prepared.
“An amendment to the Immigration Act will allow mass arrivals to be detained under a group warrant, rather than each person having to be dealt with individually,” he added.
“This means Immigration New Zealand will be able to focus on managing immediate risks, rather than being tied up in paperwork and clogging up the courts,” he said.
A mass arrival would likely include people whose identities are unknown or in doubt, so it is necessary to use detention to manage the security risks,” he added.
Other policy changes would mean a claimant’s refugee status would be reassessed three years after it was first determined, with permanent residence granted only if the reassessment was approved.
Tighter controls on family reunification rules would mean refugees who did gain residence after three years could only sponsor their immediate family members to join them in New Zealand, but not extended family members.
“There are appropriate channels for genuine refugees to use. We cannot start accepting boat loads of people - we need to deter them before they take to sea.
“This legislation is not about punishing people with a genuine claim for refugee status. It’s about sending a strong message that queue jumpers won’t be tolerated, and people smugglers will not be rewarded.”
Guy says New Zealand remains committed to fulfilling its international good citizen obligations by accepting an annual quota of up to 750 refugees mandated by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.
- Bernama
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