Indian Students facing Deportation plan more protests to get justice

International Indian students facing deportation from New Zealand continue to fight for justice with a protest planned outside a meeting on Monday evening being attended by National MP Dr Parmjeet Parmar and Minister of Finance Bill English.

The students and their supporters are particularly incensed at the failure of several National MP's of Indian ethnic origin who claim to represent the Indian community but have been conspicuously silent on this issue

They students say they are victims of unscrupulous India-based immigration agents who have used fake financial documents to get them into the country on student visas. These students had no idea that fake documents were used by their agents. Deporting them for something which they have not done is unfair.

The students held a peaceful protest on 3 Sep outside the offices of National Party list MP Dr Parmjeet Parmar. A petition by the name of ‘Justice for Indian Students in NZ’ will be delivered to the Minister of Immigration and the Prime Minister. There has also been support from the wider community through public meetings.

Earlier this week the issue was raised during question time in Parliament by the Labour Party, The Green Party and New Zealand First.

Representatives from the Catholic Church in Aotearoa, the Anglican Church in Aotearoa, the Council of Trade Unions and other members of civil society including Dr Rodney Harrison QC have been requesting to see the Minister of Immigration on behalf of the students for over a week now. The Minister continues to ignore their request.

Despite such outcry from all quarters, the government has not made any efforts to deliver justice to the Indian students. Instead the government continues to portray the Indian students facing deportation as criminals. The students’ future is in the hands of the New Zealand government.

To further the cause of delivering justice for the Indian students facing deportation, a protest has been organised for 6.30pm on Monday 26 Sep outside Lynfield Community Church, 35 The Avenue, Lynfield, Auckland.

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