Immigration Fraud The Norm Says Peters

New Zealand First says the Government must start investigating other overseas immigration offices after it was revealed that a cash-for-visas scam is being run by an immigration official at New Zealand's Embassy in Thailand. The allegations centre on the issuing of student and visitor visas to Cambodian nationals. Rt Hon Winston Peters said today that bribery and corruption is a way of life in some Asian countries where the New Zealand government employs local people to work in immigration offices.

“We have an unsatisfactory situation in which we are employing non-New Zealanders to process and make decisions on residence and visa applications and the system is wide open to abuse.

“The immigration minister has been given numerous cases of this happening and informants have told us that immigration officials do not contact them about following up their complaints. Cambodians are allegedly involved in one serious case advised to my office last year.”

Mr Peters said that a thorough review of the immigration processing system should be carried out in overseas offices to ensure that it is honest and that only New Zealanders are employed in decision-making positions.

“The Bangkok case follows fraud in English language tests, fake marriages, drivers’ licence exam fraud, fictitious educational qualifications, false job offers, misleading financial qualifications, false business credentials, bogus refugee claims and many other scams.”

“Lianne Dalziel is in her fourth year as minister and has been aware of these problems for some time. It is time the prime minister sacked her or face the conclusion that she condones this activity,” said Mr Peters.

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