Naivety and poverty cited for Tuvaluan's plight

By STEPHEN COOK

Naivety and poverty have been blamed for the downfall of a Tuvaluan overstayer facing prison and the threat of being sent home.

New Zealand authorities are weighing up whether to eject 31-year-old renal patient Senee Niusila after revelations that he assaulted his wife, Moana, last month for the second time in less than a year.

But the case poses an ethical dilemma because deporting Niusila would be tantamount to a death sentence as Tuvalu does not have the medical facilities he needs. Medical experts say that without specialist care, he would be dead within a fortnight.

The Immigration Service is preparing a report on the case that will go to Associate Immigration Minister Damien O'Connor.

Yesterday, a spokesman said the minister was awaiting further details before deciding Niusila's fate.

Auckland's 3000-strong Tuvaluan community is rallying behind Niusila amid growing public opposition to him remaining in New Zealand.

Yesterday, the head of the Auckland Tuvaluan Society, the Rev. Suamalie Naisali Tafaki Iosefa, again reiterated his support for Niusila, saying if the court decided against a prison term he would "take the family under my wing" and provide counselling.

Mr Iosefa said he had spoken at length to Niusila again this week and was convinced of his innocence.

He believed the family's dire economic circumstances combined with Niusila's general naivety about the New Zealand court system were pivotal in his downfall.

Niusila spoke little English and was unaware that a guilty plea could result in a jail sentence.

The family were also under considerable financial pressure, made worse by Niusila's inability to work.

In Tuvalu, Niusila had been "a good hard-working man" who had never had any trouble with the law, said Mr Iosefa.

"This is life and death for this poor man. He knows if he is sent home he will die.

"Senee is not a big bully. He just needs help with the problems he is facing."

Mr Iosefa said if Niusila had beaten his wife as he admitted doing, he deserved a jail term, but the incident was not as serious as it had been portrayed.

"The problem is with his wife pushing him around."

Mr Iosefa was also critical that New Zealand had not helped the family by providing anger management counselling. That had been left to the Tuvaluan community.