Three Malaysian nationals have been put on the next flight back despite having a return ticket and $2000 each for a two-week holiday. Photo / File
Three Malaysian nationals have been put on the next flight back despite having a return ticket and $2000 each for a two-week holiday. Photo / File
Three Malaysian nationals who came to New Zealand as tourists were refused entry at the Auckland Airport on Monday night and put on the next flight back.
Figures released to the Herald by Immigration New Zealand revealed China topping the list of foreign nationals being refused entry, with 534 inthe 12 months to the end of last month.Brazil was number two with 140, followed by Malaysia on 136.
National border manager Dana McDonald said privacy considerations meant INZ was limited on what it could say about why the three were denied entry.
"However, based on the evidence, immigration officers determined they did not meet all of the entry requirements to be permitted to enter the country and weren't bona fide visitors," McDonald said.
"Immigration officers followed the proper process at all times, and the refusal decisions were based on available evidence."
Former Immigration Minister Tuariki Delamere said that, by percentage, Malaysia and Brazil "are more of a worry" than China.
New Zealand gets about 430,000 visitors from China annually, but only about 50,000 from Malaysia and fewer than 20,000 from Brazil.
Malaysians are coming to New Zealand using fraudulent documents to work in construction sites, says former Immigration Minister Tuariki Delamere. Photo / File
"In percentage terms, the number of Chinese being turned away is small compared to Malaysia and Brazil," Delamere said.
"Malaysia of late has been where a lot are coming using fraudulent documents to work in construction sites here. People coming from there are definitely being more closely scrutinised than others."
Delamere believed a significant number from Brazil had been turned away because they were suspected of being sex workers who wanted to ply their trade here.
A friend of the Malaysians who were turned back said they arrived on Malaysian Airlines flight MH131 on Monday evening.
They were detained for an interview, refused entry and put on the next flight back.
"They were planning to stay here for a two-week vacation and had tickets to return on October 4," said the friend, who did not want to be named.
"Each of them also had $2000, and had passports showing they had travelled to many other countries."
TurnedAway
McDonald said INZ rejected any suggestion the people refused entry were unfairly targeted.
She said there has been an increase in detection of visitor visa application fraud, due to several factors including enhanced enforcement and rising visitor numbers.
"As INZ encounters different types of fraud, it's able to adjust its systems accordingly. In essence, the more INZ learns, the better its enforcement becomes," McDonald said.
"As arrivals increase, a proportionate rise in INZ's enforcement and compliance work is to be expected."
In 2014 around 243,000 visitor arrivals were recorded for Chinese passport holders, but last year the figure was almost 430,000.
"There will always be those who try to enter New Zealand without following immigration rules and look for holes or ways to exploit the system," McDonald added.
"INZ is alert to this and targets its compliance and enforcement activities accordingly."
Earlier this month INZ issued a warning about unlicensed immigration agents operating in China.
