Government staff study claims against evicted 'refugee'

Avtar Singh Ghuman's affairs are under scrutiny

An Indian man who dobbed in overstayers to the Immigration Service has been accused of then seeking money from them and other immigrants by offering to help using his "good connections".

Avtar Singh Ghuman left New Zealand for India in 2005 after failing to gain refugee status but has left behind a trail of debts to angry immigrants who paid him thousands of dollars for work he never did.

The Herald has talked to several people who do not want to be named for fear of jeopardising their immigration status.

One man said Ghuman had used his contacts at the Immigration Service to win the trust of the Indian community in Auckland.

He carried around a book of business cards of immigration officials which he would show immigrants to prove he had good connections.

At the same time Ghuman was dobbing in overstayers and trying to project himself as a good man to the authorities, the man said.

"He was close to immigration officers and would use their names and show his so-called clients their cards ... and started getting money from prospective clients saying he could help.

"He'd know about overstayers, inform on them, and then contact them and say the Immigration Service was after them but he could help if they gave him money."

The man said he paid Ghuman $3000 to help him gain permanent residency but Ghuman failed to do so.

Other Indians told similar stories - how they gave Ghuman thousands of dollars to help them gain residency in New Zealand, but without result.

Some had paid Ghuman as much as $12,000 to act as a consultant. In some cases he had taken their passports and not returned them.

Some of the migrants had since been deported or chosen to return to India.

Ghuman and his family had arrived in New Zealand seeking refugee status in 1999.

A Refugee Status Branch decision issued last February found Ghuman was not credible in his claims that the family faced persecution in India.

Ghuman had said that in about 2000 he began helping the Immigration Service by passing on information regarding fraudulent immigration claims to borders and investigation officers.

He said he was aware of numerous immigration scams in the Sikh community and that his activities had made him an enemy of his own people.

He feared persecution in India because of his involvement in Sikh politics.

The Refugee Status Branch first declined his claim in 2001 and in 2002 an appeal was declined by the Refugee Status Appeals Authority.

The authority had found Ghuman's testimony regarding his claimed persecution and arrests in India was vague, evasive, implausible and contained numerous falsehoods and embellishments.

In August 2004 the family lodged subsequent claims for refugee status and Ghuman claimed to have had letters containing death threats from an Indian commando force.

The Refugee Status Branch found that Ghuman was evasive and that he had failed to directly answer questions.

He had produced letters from the Office of the Minister of Immigration and from the Prime Minister's Office acknowledging receipt of letters from him regarding immigration fraud in the Indian community.

A Labour Department spokeswoman said she could not comment as the Immigration Service was investigating Ghuman.

"For this reason we are unable to disclose the information you are seeking as to do so could jeopardise the investigation."