Immigration New Zealand is supporting police in scrutinising the travel and entry of any foreign non-resident Mongol participants, with anyone with known criminal history at risk of being stopped from travelling to New Zealand.
Anyone suspected of committing an offence punishable by imprisonment while here or deemed a threat to public interest or order may also not be able to enter.
“To address risk to public order, border alerts have been placed on known Mongols participants, and known participants from visa-waiver countries have been assessed and had their visa-waiver status suspended, meaning they will have to submit a visa application to come to New Zealand,” Immigration Minister Erica Stanford said.
Police Minister Mark Mitchell said that while membership of the gang was not illegal, chapter members have been involved in criminal activity in New Zealand, including violent offending and drug importation.
“Our Government won’t tolerate international gangs entering New Zealand to celebrate and promote their criminal activity. We will not accept an influx of gang members intimidating law-abiding members of the public.”
The Mongols – which first formed in the late 1960s in east Los Angeles – became prominent in Christchurch in 2019.
They are expected to hold a fifth-anniversary event this weekend. Police monitoring it raided a fortified property in the eastern Christchurch suburb of Wainoni on Wednesday morning.
Immigration NZ confirmed that officials are “aware that some members and associates from Mongols Motorcycle Club international chapters will attempt to travel to New Zealand to participate in the fifth-anniversary event this weekend”.
“We are not in a position to confirm the number of visa applications received by those with ties to the club at this time, however, we can confirm that a small number of foreign nationals who have attempted to travel for this event have been determined to be ineligible for travel or entry,” said Jock Gilray, Immigration NZ acting deputy chief operating officer.
“Immigration New Zealand [INZ] is actively working with NZ Police to identify and assess the eligibility of any others who may attempt to travel.”
In general, anyone travelling to New Zealand must be of “good character” and meet character requirements to either be granted a visa or entry into New Zealand.
According to INZ, an individual may not meet character requirements if they have a criminal conviction; they have been deported, removed or excluded from another country; or INZ has reason to believe they may be a risk to New Zealand’s security, public order or public interest.
Canterbury District Commander Superintendent Tony Hill earlier said a police operation would be “in place to ensure the maintenance of the law across this time”.
“We will be utilising resources from the other two South Island districts.
“Police will be monitoring the event closely and will take swift action if any criminal offending is identified.”
