Hastings family escapes removal

A Hastings family facing deportation to India was celebrating this morning after being given a 12-month reprieve.
Sital Ram Mall and Usha Rani have been granted a 12-month work visa, allowing them to stay with their three New Zealand-born children.
The couple had been overstayers in New Zealand for about eight years before being issued with removal orders in September.
Mr Mall, who was jailed for two months while he and his family waited for a decision, was released this morning.
"I'm so happy," Mrs Rani said.
The past few months had been very stressful, she said.
"Thinking of the children's future, my mind was very upset.
"Now my life is saved, my children's lives are saved."
Family friend Jess Kaur said Mrs Rani ran to her house yesterday after hearing the news. "She was crying and saying 'He's coming back tomorrow.' She was so happy."
The children, 8-year-old Hemani and 6-year-old twins Gagan and Gaurav, are New Zealand citizens, and would have had the right to stay.
They were born before a 2006 law change requiring children born here to have at least one citizen parent to be granted citizenship.
MP Craig Foss had appealed to Associate Immigration Minister Kate Wilkinson to intervene in the family's case, and a decision was released last night.
Mr Foss said it was great news for the children "and this has always been about the wellbeing of the children".
"It's not desirable for anyone to press the boundaries of immigration law, as the minister has stated, but at the end of the day with this 12 months' reprieve, hopefully they will be able to sort a few more things out."
Immigration consultant representing the family, Tuariki Delamere, said he welcomed Ms Wilkinson's decision, but it did not solve the problem for other families in similar circumstances.
And he said Mr Mall and Ms Rani would face the same issue again in a year's time.
"I'm glad she's done it, I thank her for that, but the issue is still there in 12 months' time, and it's not just the Ram family, it's 1000 to 2000 children facing similar circumstances.
"These are our kids and you just can't countenance sending children to live in poverty in another country."
In her decision, Ms Wilkinson said she could not condone the couple's apparent disregard for immigration law.
However, she had cancelled the removal orders and granted a 12-month work visa.
If they wished to extend their stay beyond that time, normal immigration requirements would apply, and there was no guarantee further visas would be granted.