Overstayer's TV interviews prompt hint of law change

By HELEN TUNNAH and NZPA

Immigration laws may be changed to stop people harbouring overstayers after the family of an Iranian man continued to obstruct efforts to get him removed from New Zealand.

Saied Ghanbari yesterday appeared on television for the second time in two days, embarrassing Immigration Service officials who have spent months trying to find him and expel him.

Immigration Minister Paul Swain even conceded in Parliament yesterday that it had crossed his mind to hire TVNZ to hunt illegal immigrants.

Mr Ghanbari is a failed refugee claimant, who had a removal order served on him last June.

New Zealand First leader Winston Peters told Parliament Mr Ghanbari was a drug user who had trespass and protection orders against him for violent and threatening behaviour, and was not meeting maintenance obligations for his child.

On TVNZ's Holmeslast night, Mr Swain urged Mr Ghanbari to give himself up.

Instead, Mr Ghanbari, who was standing in a park with his face concealed and most of his body barely visible in the dark, denied claims he had been violent and said he had no intention of going to the authorities.

"You're not allowed to be here. You are an embarrassment to your community," Mr Swain said. "Give yourself up to the police and immigration, and get on a plane and go home."

Television New Zealand broke no laws in liaising with Mr Ghanbari, and Holmes host Susan Wood said on the programme that it was not the media's job to hand him over to officials.

Mr Swain said he had asked TVNZ to disclose Mr Ghanbari's whereabouts, but it had declined.

He said it appeared an aunt of Mr Ghanbari was at the centre of efforts to hide him from officials.

Mr Swain said she was not breaking the law in harbouring an overstayer, but such issues would be included in a review of immigration laws, as would the number of times a person could appeal over failed refugee and migration claims.

He did not want to make criminals of relatives who might be under huge pressure to provide shelter to people unlawfully in New Zealand. But he was now considering whether it should be an offence to obstruct attempts to enforce removal orders, or harbour overstayers.