Government considers amnesty for overstayers

By AUDREY YOUNG political reporter

The Government is considering a selective amnesty for overstayers, which would allow thousands of Pacific Islanders to stay in New Zealand if they have strong family ties.

Alliance minister and cabinet minister Matt Robson told a Pacific Island delegation at the weekend that the cabinet would be asked to consider the amnesty, along with a regular immigration quota of Tongans and Fijians.

The former immigration lawyer, who works closely with Immigration Minister Lianne Dalziel, called for a more generous, accepting policy towards Pacific Island immigrants and visitors.

He said New Zealand operated a kind of Berlin Wall that separated Samoan families.

The country also had to examine the "racist element" in its heartfelt response to Kosovar refugees and white Zimbabwean farmers, compared with its less-generous attitude to Fijian Indians.

Mr Robson and Alliance leader Jim Anderton heard the pleas for an amnesty from 75 Islanders at their party's Auckland regional conference on Saturday.

Afterwards Mr Robson said: "There is a legitimate sense of grievance amongst many Samoans that they are good enough to be factory fodder or sports stars but the relationship is not a warm and accepting one.

"They are not asking for everyone to come here, but want a little bit more generosity."

Mr Robson told the mainly Samoan group that a cabinet paper was being prepared on ways to allow non-permit holders in New Zealand to stay.

"It is to look at the whole question of those who are here without permits and where it is possible, if they are well-settled and particularly if they have got family connections, to be able to stay."

It would also help if they had jobs. The amnesty, similar to policies applied in 1991 and 1987, would not include serious criminals.

He hoped the paper could go before the cabinet within weeks rather than months.

The ministers were also looking at developing a special Pacific Island access category, which would include Tonga and Fiji as well as Samoans.

At present, up to 1100 Samoan citizens annually who have a job offer in New Zealand and are aged between 18 and 45 may be granted residence.

They may also qualify under other categories, such as family, humanitarian or general skills.

Of the 20,000 overstayers three years ago, about 4000 were Samoan, 2400 Tongan, 1900 British and 1600 American.

Mr Robson said he wanted a review of the Citizenship (Western Samoa) Act 1982, which overturned a Privy Council decision confirming New Zealand citizenship rights on Samoans born between 1924-1949 during New Zealand's administration, and their children.

New Zealand also had to sort out policy inconsistencies which meant that a single Samoan with a brother in New Zealand would be given entry, but a married brother with a child would not because he had a family in Samoa.

The Alliance's Samoan sector coordinator, Tafa Mulitalo, said many overstayers were elderly people who believed they had a right to stay because of the Privy Council decision.

But many had jobs already.

"A lot of them are self-sufficient ... so they are not going to be a burden on social welfare."