REFUGEE COUNCIL OF
NEW ZEALAND

PRESS RELEASE

United Nations Slams Government Immigration Bill

As World Refugee Day approaches on 20 June, the National Government’s proposed Immigration (Mass Arrivals) Amendment bill has been criticised by the United Nations.

The Refugee Council of New Zealand has joined a growing chorus of rising opposition to proposed amendments put forward by the government to the Immigration Act, 2009.

“This ill-conceived proposed legislation is seriously flawed from multiple legal, moral, or humanitarian perspectives. It proposes a very bad solution to a non-existent problem,” says RCNZ Spokesperson Deborah Manning.

“The government has failed to show what useful purpose these flawed proposed amendments will serve except to seriously damage New Zealand’s international reputation.” she said. “The notion that this is going to somehow deter ‘people smugglers’ who have never targeted New Zealand is an absurdity.”

The Refugee Council has joined many other legal, human rights, and community groups in putting forward detailed submissions to the Select Committee considering the proposed bill in its second reading (submission enclosed).

“The government is ignoring international best practice and following down the very same course that the Australians have now admitted to be wrong. Why is New Zealand not capable of learning from the mistakes of others, rather than repeating them? “

“Not long ago, New Zealand was proud to stand up at international forums as among the best examples of fairness and humanitarian principles upholding the UN Convention. If these proposed amendments go ahead, the impact will be to erode and undermine international law protecting the most vulnerable that has stood the test of time for 61 years. .”

For the first time groups like the International Detention Coalition, Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch are starting to look into New Zealand with the introduction of this bill. This is unprecedented.

The UNHCR (United Nations High Commission for Refugees) is uncharacteristically blunt in its detailed criticisms of the proposed Immigration Amendment bill.

The Refugee Council of New Zealand fully agrees with the UNHCR analysis which has highlighted most serious concerns in its detailed submission to the Select Committee.

It is very disappointing that some New Zealand politicians are trying to copy the tactics of some of their counterparts in Australia in using hapless asylum people as a football to score political points.

Fear-mongering and divisive ‘dog-whistle’ politics have no place in New Zealand. This bill will have no effect on potential ‘people smugglers’ except to attract their unwanted attention to our country.

The proposed Bill is clearly one which has been hastily constructed, and without sufficient analysis as to any remedial effect it might have on the mischief it purports to target. It should not be supported in its present form by well-thinking legislators.

The Immigration Act as it now stands contains more than adequate provisions for dealing in an orderly and consistent fashion with refugee claimants, regardless of how they arrive on our shores.

ENDS

[Scoop copy of UNHCR Select Committee submission: 20120608_UNHCR_Submission_to_the_NZL_Immigration_Ammendment_Bill.pdf]

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