By Tony Wall
Immigration staff are throwing record numbers of Thais out of New Zealand for working illegally, and are stopping hundreds more as they try to enter the country.
But despite growing concerns about Thais flooding the local sex trade, the Government will not revoke Thailand's visa-free status.
Immigration Minister Tuariki Delamere
says he's worried about a possible Thai trade and tourism backlash if the no-visa policy, introduced by Labour in the late 1980s, is repealed.
But Auckland mayor and National Party MP Christine Fletcher, says it is time to review the policy because women are being exploited under the present system.
"These women come in and they're part of a group of 12 or so, supposedly on a tourist trip - they've got the money and the return ticket and everything they need to comply - and the next day you can't find any of them," she said.
She said the topic was set to be an Apec issue and would be discussed next week with the Thai minister of women's affairs.
Figures given to the New Zealand Herald by the Immigration Service show more Thais than any other nationality were refused entry in the past 11 months.
Of the 854 people turned away from New Zealand in that time, 415 were Thai.
And 226 Thais were among the 1476 people removed from the country as overstayers or illegal workers.
Police intelligence suggests 500 Thai women are working in the sex industry in Auckland alone.
The Human Rights Commission has begun a campaign to rescue Thai women forced into prostitution in the city.
Stickers in Thai script are being put up around Auckland, including the red light districts of Fort St and Karangahape Rd, giving information about safe houses and arrangements to return to Thailand.
Sources say Thai men are also being exploited in areas such as the building industry.
Mr Delamere told the Herald a "definite Thai problem" existed, and the situation was being reviewed.
"There is a significant trade in human flesh, but at this stage we do not have plans to alter the visa-free status," he said.
"It would have a negative impact on our relations with the Thai Government if we closed the border in that way."
Mr Delamere said if Thais needed New Zealand visas, they would have to travel to Bangkok to be processed at "huge expense" and would visit other countries instead.
