Officials apologise for Tongan pregnancy-testing zeal

By HELEN TUNNAH, deputy political editor

Immigration officials have apologised for offending Tongans after an inquiry found that one in five women visiting from the Pacific nation may have been asked to undertake a pregnancy test.

Immigration Minister Paul Swain has ordered officials to make sure that no one ethnic group is unfairly targeted by the policy, introduced last year to stop foreign women coming here to have a baby.

Tongan community leaders surprised MPs at a parliamentary inquiry this month when they complained that the widespread tests were upsetting many women, particularly those from Christian backgrounds.

They said single women, teenagers and women aged in their forties were all being asked to take the tests, which were offensive.

The MPs, and even Mr Swain, had not been aware the Immigration Service had introduced a policy asking women to take pregnancy tests.

The immigration policy was not widely promoted even though other rule changes were, including one which means any non-resident woman having a baby here now has to pay.

Policy changes followed reports about maternity packages being offered overseas, mainly in Asia, to women to have babies here for free, with the child eligible for citizenship.

Mr Swain said Tongan women had been targeted more than women from any other country, even though there were no country figures showing where the women abusing the system came from.

He said officials did not know exactly how many pregnancy tests had been asked for in Tonga, but had told him it might have reached one in five women.

It is not known how many Tongan women have visited here since the policy was introduced about October.

Over the same period, five Samoan women and about 30 Fijian women were asked to take tests.

In the past three years 400 women from across all Pacific countries have had children here when they were not eligible for free health care.

Mr Swain has not stopped tests altogether, but he has asked officials to ensure they have real cause to believe a woman might not have a genuine reason for visiting before asking her to take a test.

"We don't want people coming to NZ just for that reason, to use our health services," the minister said.

Officials have also been told to keep records of how many people are asked to take tests. Immigration Service operations manager Steve Jones said a person must be suspected of being a "significant or specific" risk before tests can be requested.

He apologised to Tongans for any offence caused. "Clearly we've caused an upset."

In the past 11 months, 5500 visa applications have been made by Tongans wanting to visit New Zealand.

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* In the past three years 400 women from all Pacific countries have had children here when they were not eligible for free health care.

* In the past 11 months, 5500 visa applications have been made by Tongans - male and female - wanting to visit New Zealand.