By WARREN GAMBLE
Supporters of jailed refugeseeker Alexander Tishkovets say a suspicious about-turn by incompetent authorities in his native Tajikistan adds weight to his case to stay in New Zealand.
The 27-year-old's long fight to escape his homeland may end this week, as he fears immigration authorities are set to send him back a second time.
Mr Tishkovets arrived in Auckland on a false Irish passport in February last year, but his bid for refugee status on the grounds of persecution was rejected. He told authorities his home had been burned down and his life threatened.
He was deported in December but returned 10 days later after persuading Russian officials that he was Irish in a desperate attempt to avoid going home. Since then, he has been in Mt Eden Prison.
In a final public plea to the Government yesterday, his lawyer, Justin Glyn, said the Tajik authorities had prolonged his client's ordeal "through incompetence or sheer lack of interest."
He said that last December a Tajik official certified Mr Tishkovets as a citizen of the central Asian republic, from the settlement of Shaimak. But in April, the Immigration Service said Tajik authorities had no knowledge of Mr Tishkovets.
Correspondence between the service and a Tajik official in Moscow revealed the official even doubted that Mr Tishkovets' home town of Shaimak existed. Mr Glyn said maps of Tajikistan clearly showed the town.
In another twist, Tajik authorities have now agreed to issue travel documents to Mr Tishkovets.
"I reiterate the view that the value of any citizenship granted in these circumstances is to be questioned and that Mr Tishkovets' return ought not to proceed."
End near in refugee bid
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