Expulsions making overstayers wary

By ALAN PERROTT

The six-month amnesty for well-settled overstayers has attracted only a few hundred applications in its first three weeks.

Minister of Immigration Lianne Dalziel expects up to 8000 of the 20,000 overstayers estimated to be living in the country to qualify for the amnesty.

The amnesty began on October 1 and will run until March 31. But by last Friday only 303 applications had been received.

The slow response comes as no surprise to those in close contact with overstayers.

Immigration lawyer Soane Foliaki said some communities remain distrustful of the Government following the well-publicised removal and return of the Mila family and the jailing of one of his clients, Tongan man Hosea Nau.

Both actions were mistakes caused by a late flood of removal order appeals to the independent Removal Review Authority.

Such appeals cancelled removal orders until the appeal is heard.

The authority normally received about 18 appeals each week, but it was flooded with about 1000 appeals in the week leading up to September 30. Staff were still entering the appeals onto their computer system last week.

The Mila family and Mr Nau had lodged appeals but they had not been logged when checks on their immigration status were carried out. Those issued with removal orders since September 30, such as the Mila family, can be flown out of the country on the next available flight.

But Mr Foliaki expects amnesty applications to begin flowing in as people's distrust and fear of removal settle down.

The Rev Mua Strickson-Pua from the Tagata Pasifika Resource Centre is not so sure.

He has addressed three meetings on the amnesty in the past two weeks and said he was shocked by the cynicism and distrust he had encountered.

"People are so grateful to hear they are not going to knock on our doors before 7am.

"There is a lot of cynicism like that. I've been amazed by the feedback - everyone is being super, super cautious."

He puts a lot of the blame for that caution on the Immigration Service's blunder over the Mila family.

"They were really caught with their pants down there and then to have the minister blame her staff was incredible."

Immigration lawyer Olinda Woodroffe said many were finding it difficult to lodge applications even though they meet the criteria.

For instance, many Asians who met the five-year residency criteria had been working "under the table" and were unable to provide proof of employment.

She said others were unwilling to complete the application forms.

The form requests full contact information which some were unwilling to provide in case their application was declined.

Lianne Dalziel has said no person who lodges an amnesty application, or fits within the amnesty criteria, will be removed before the March 31, 2001, deadline.

National's immigration spokeswoman, Marie Hasler, is critical of recent immigration blunders, saying New Zealand had to be more careful when handling immigration issues.

"Immigration is not merely an economic issue, it also has far-reaching international consequences. The minister must exercise a much higher degree of care and responsibility."