Immigration Service Uses Dawn Raid To Deport Helen Clark's Husband

The Minister of Immigration must pull her department into line after two recent examples of heavy-handed behaviour, National's Immigration spokesperson Marie Hasler said today.

"Earlier this week we had the case of a ten year old child taken from her adoptive parents and thrown into a Police holding cell. That lead footed handling of an incident by Immigration Service officials will certainly have traumatised the child.

"Today another story has come to light, of Raukawa woman Helen Clark, whose Scottish husband was seized by Police at 7am on a Sunday morning. The raid occurred on Mothers Day, and Mrs Clark's three children will certainly be traumatised by the deportation of their stepfather.

"The handling of this incident appears to have been extremely gung ho, with Kenny Clark reportedly arrested after police, at the instruction of the Immigration Service, entered the couple's home through an open door at 7am and surprised them in the bedroom. Kenny Clark was reportedly pepper-sprayed by Police and was not even allowed to say goodbye to his wife.

"While I don't want to get into an argument about the details of this case, it is clear that this deportation - as with the seizure of 10 year old Cristine Tilo - was handled with a lack of sensitivity by the Immigration Service. Where children are concerned, as was the case with Helen Clark's children and Cristine Tilo, officials should be using kid gloves, not jackboots.

"I also challenge the logic of anyone who would not define a 7am raid on a Sunday in the middle of winter, when it is pitch black outside, as a 'dawn raid'.

"Lianne Dalziel will no doubt continue to dance on the head of a pin over the definition of dawn - but the public was promised 'no more dawn raids' and when they see people seized from their beds before sunrise on a Sunday morning they will make their own judgement," Marie Hasler said.

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