15 July 2004

Why Is 'Most Wanted' Overstayer Still Here?

Rt Hon Winston Peters wants to know why New Zealand's most wanted overstayer is still here and will not be automatically expelled when his travel documents come through.

The Government had promised that Iranian Saied Ghanbari would be expelled as soon as his embassy had organised his passport and other papers but it now appears the Associate Immigration Minister is gathering further “information” about the case.

Mr Peters said Ghanbari should have been put on a plane back to Iran as soon as he was apprehended but it now seemed that he would use the soft touch immigration system to stay here.

“It is well known in the Middle East that the New Zealand immigration authorities are suckers and will accept the bizarre untruths that these unwelcome overstayers put forward in their bids to stay here.

“No other country in the world would allow this to happen and it is high time the Government started clamping down on more than twenty thousand of overstayers who have no right to be here in the first place.

“This man should be driven to the airport today instead of laughing at us from the comfort of his home away from home,” said Mr Peters.

ENDS

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