A group of overstayers nabbed during a crackdown on illegal immigrants in the Western Bay of Plenty have been remanded in custody pending their deportation from the country.
In total, 12 overstayers have appeared in Tauranga District Court over the past two days.
Of the 12 overstayers, eight appeared in Tauranga District
Court yesterday, including a Chinese-born couple from Nauru who were also subject to a proceeds of crime application by the Crown relating to their assets.
The overstayers were found at different locations across the Western Bay of Plenty, but the majority were located in the Te Puke area.
Some of the overstayers were caught during an Immigration New Zealand operation targeting illegal labour in the region's horticulture sector and were identified as illegal workers because of information from within the industry.
Judge Bruce Davidson granted seven-day warrants of commitment for those making their first appearance in court and also extended the committal orders for a further seven days for those making their second court appearances.
A warrant of commitment authorises the person named in it to be detained for a period of seven days or for a shorter period if the judge considers it necessary to enable a removal order.
Immigration New Zealand is seeking to obtain valid passports for the overstayers and once they have done so will book flights to enable them to be flown back to their country of residence.
One of the overstayers is a Tongan man whose flight had been arranged and he would be deported from the country on Tuesday.
The group of overstayers also included a Malaysian, a Chinese-born man, three Indians, and three from Europe.
One Indian man was challenging the warrant and he would be back in court on Monday.
