7 August 2007

Media Release: Immigration rules designed for George Bush

The proposed changes to New Zealand’s immigration rules and procedures are designed to dovetail in with American foreign policy objectives rather than meet the needs of New Zealand or the rights of prospective visitors, refugees or migrants.

Over the past few months New Zealand has hosted visits by representatives of groups such as those fighting for self-determination in Western Sahara, Aceh, West Papua and Sri Lanka. We understand that under the proposed new law such visitors could be denied entry on the basis of unvetted information from foreign agencies whose governments (the US, Indonesia and France in these cases) oppose these groups gaining independence. This would have prevented visitors such as Nelson Mandela coming to New Zealand in earlier times when the US, Britain and some New Zealand politicians regarded him as a terrorist.

The very problem created by the Ahmed Zaoui case is now to be extended to all prospective immigrants and refugees. They are all now open to having classified information from any unnamed source, either foreign or local, used against them.

If we have learned anything from the so-called war on terror it is surely that foreign intelligence organisations, not to mention the poor record of our own, cannot be trusted to provide reliable information. Guantanemo Bay and Abu Ghraib are prominent examples.

If information against a person is valid then it should be able to stand scrutiny under the light of day. Otherwise it has no place in a democracy.

Already New Zealand has passed several so-called “anti-terrorism” bills which have the effect of lining up our domestic policy with that driven by the US for its own interests. The new bill gives “closet support” for US objectives and opens us up to greater undemocratic influence.

Minister of Immigration David Cunliffe is a weak minister who has already failed to stand up for the rights of vulnerable migrants and refugees. For example he has continued the detention of two Iranian Christians for several years now despite knowing it is not safe for them to be returned to Iran. Cunliffe is the ideal minister for foreign governments. He is easy meat.

John Minto

ENDS

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