Chinese Enter N.Z. With False Permits

Press, Volume XCV, Issue 28254, 16 April 1957, Page 12

Chinese Enter N.Z. With False Permits

(New Zealand Press Association) AUCKLAND, April 15. Detectives in Auckland and Wellington are seeking evidence to convict the man behind a scheme which is believed to be bringing hundreds of Chinese into New Zealand under falsified entry permits. Many Chinese men, women and children are believed to have entered the country illegally for a fee of £l2OO a head over the last three or four years. The New Zealand “agents” are ‘ thought to be working in conjunction with brokers in Hong Kong.

Police believe that the man behind the scheme is a Chinese living in Wellington, who is working in collaboration with Auckland Chinese and a member of a Government department. The £ 1200 fee is said to be shared among the parties and their contact in China.

A handful of leading members of the Dominion Chinese community know the identity of some of the men involved in the . organisation, but they will not give their names to the police. Official inquiries are still at a fairly early stage. Since the matter was placed in the hands of the police, certain entry permits that have been issued for Chinese have been suspended. The suspensions cover most permits issued in the last few months. Mr Barnett’s Comment The Controller - General of Police (Mr S. T. Barnett) said today from Wellington that the inquiry was “quite a big affair,” and that there would be an official outcome. He refused to be quoted further. The Assistant Controller-Gen-eral (Mr P. J. Nalder) said in Auckland recently that he understood “quite large sums of money” were involved in the transactions. The police investigations, he added, were still far from complete. The Secretary of Labour (Mr H. L. Bockett) confirmed tonight that entry permits for many would-be Chinese residents had been suspended. “At this stage,” he said, “all I can say is that some entry permits for Chinese have been obtained as a result of false declarations.” He added that the Immigration Branch of the Department of Labour had placed the matter in the hands of the police.

“It is very disturbing to know,” he added, “that some of these permits have been gained by improper declarations.” Since police action began some weeks ago, the flow of illegal permits has come to a sudden halt. The falsified entry permits supplied by the promoters of the scheme are said to be of two kinds—temporary permits which the sponsors hoped to make permanent, and permanent entry permits. “Many Innocent Parties”

Many of the illegal immigrants are said to be innocent parties. They have paid their money and received a visa bearing the official stamp. To all out-

ward appearances they have entered the Dominion legally. Those who have entered the Dominion illegally are unlikely to come forward and give their names to the police: they have too much to lose. They would probably also be regarded as traitors by some of their own people.

The illegal entry system does not have the support of most of New Zealand’s Chinese community; but one Chinese leader in Auckland said: “I will not betray another Chinese citizen—even if he is dishonest.” .Permanent entry of Chinese to New Zealand is normally restricted to the wives and children of men who are already living in New Zealand. Only a few elderly people ' are allowed permanent visas, and all would-be citizens undergo a close political scrutiny. Lawyers’ Protests Lawyers acting for Chinese who wish to enter New Zealand legally have protested to the immigration authorities about the unfair distribution of permits. They are told that in future each application will be “dealt with on its merits.”

Because of the numbers who have entered New Zealand “by the back door” it is likely that the 3408 Chinese aliens registered ( in the country last year may not represent the true figure. China is the only Oriental country to have substantial representation in New Zealand.