Naturalisation

Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28661, 11 August 1958, Page 3

Naturalisation

Sir,—Having had a difference of opinion with a migrant who refuses to apply for naturalisation,, I wonder if you could enlighten me as to any difference in being naturalised in New Zealand or in England. If a person is naturalised in New Zealand is it as binding as in the case of the ceremony being conducted in Britain? Also can the New Zealand Government revoke the naturalised citizen’s citizenship out of hand.— Yours, etc., C. EYLES. July 28, 1958.

[The Secretary for Internal Affairs (Mr A. G. Harper) has replied at length quoting a statement- by the former Minister (Mr Smith) in Parliament. In the course of this Mr Smith saia the provisions of the New Zealand act almost exactly followed those of the United Kingdom act. ‘‘l cannot quite understand your correspondent’s second question.” Mr Harper says. ‘‘A person naturalised here is a New Zealand citizen for all purposes just as a person naturalised in England is a citizen of the United Kingdom for all purposes. I suppose one could say that both grants are equally binding. A naturalised New Zealand citizen can be deprived of his citizenship under the provisions of the British Nationality and New Zea-

land Citizens’ Act, 1948. There is no automatic loss of citizenship. Deprivation is at x the discretion of the Minister of Internal Affairs who must be satisfied of the existence of one or other of the grounds for deprivation laid down in the act and that it is not conducive to the public good that the person concerned should continue to be a New Zealand citizen. Provision is also made in the act for reference of cases of deprivation to committees of inquiry.” J