Source: Radio New Zealand
Arthur Anae (right) with Samoa’s Prime Minister Laaulialemalietoa Leuatea Polataivao Schmidt who says he backs the petition. Facebook / Anae Arthur Anae
More than 45,000 people have signed a petition demanding equal treatment of visitors from New Zealand’s Pacific neighbours.
At the moment they must apply for a visitor visa, provide proof of funds for the duration of their stay and could be asked to get an x-ray or doctor’s check to show they’re in “good health”.
But the petition wants visitors from six Pacific nations to be treated the same as travellers from 60 other countries – that it says are eligible for a cheaper more straight forward electronic authority to enter Aotearoa.
The petitioner, former National MP Arthur Anae, told Checkpoint’s Lisa Owen discrimination against Pacific peoples travelling to New Zealand needed to end.
“At this point of time 3.2 billion people around the world can access New Zealand direct or via Australia and be issued a visitor’s visa on arrival at the airport. The less than 16 million people of the Pacific have been denied this opportunity for far too long,” Anae said.
When challenged on the fact that people accessing the electronic authority also face barriers such as still having to have sufficient funds to sustain themselves while in New Zealand and also having to process online documentation and pay a fee Anae said they were not the same barriers put on people from the Pacific.
“We can meet those no problem. And the fees they have nothing to do in the size that we have to pay.
“All I am asking for, treat the people of the Pacific equal,” Anae said.
Anae said he wrote to the [immigration] minister and the prime minister last year describing it as a sad situation.
“I just said this question, close your eyes and put yourself in this position. Your mother’s died, your father’s died, or your brother or sister or your child, and you can’t come to the funeral.
No matter what the emergency Pacific people have to make an application and pay a fee before they can come to New Zealand, he said.
“Why are we discriminated [against] this way all the time by the New Zealand immigration office.”
Anae said he wanted to make it very clear who he thought was to blame.
“It is the New Zealand Immigration Office and the minister responsible who doesn’t give a damn about us,” Anae said.
When asked what kind of response he had had from government Anae said he had had none.
“Nothing. The minister hasn’t responded to anything I have asked in anyway at all.”
It was pointed out to Anae that the highest number of overstayers as a percentage are from some Pacific Island countries. When he was asked if he thought that was the reason why there are stricter requirements he had this response.
“That’s true, but that’s based on the few numbers that are here and taken into consideration all the other people. But the fact is, as I just said, if you made it easier for people to come and go, they don’t need to overstay.”
Anae said he intended to present his petition to Parliament next month.
“We present the petition on the 11th of February, asking for the petition to go … to Parliament so that the members of Parliament can have a conscious vote on the outcome of that.”
He said what he wanted was to have a select committee process so parliamentarians themselves could hear from people and understand how they had been treated in comparison to others.
“And they can make the decision if they think this is right or wrong.”
“I believe 95 percent of people [in] this country have no idea, no idea, how the Pacific people are treated by New Zealand immigration.
RNZ has approached the office of Immigration Minister Erica Stanford and the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment for comment.
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
