Naturalised Citizens Assured Of Rights

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30172, 2 July 1963, Page 19

Naturalised Citizens Assured Of Rights

(New Zealand Press Association)

WELLINGTON, July 1. Same naturalised citizens seemed to have the mistaken belief they could be deprived of citizenship for reasons that did not apply to New Zealand citizens by birth or des- ‘ cent, the Minister of Internal Affairs (Sir Leon Gotz) ’ said today. i "Since 1956, the only , ground for depriving a naturalised citizen of citizen- . ship that does not apply to a . citizen by birth or descent . is that he obtained citizen- > ship by means of fraud, false i representation or conceal- • ment at material facts. “This provision is an obvit ous safeguard to ensure that . the granting of citizenship is null and void if it is obtained . under false pretences.” I Sir Leon Gotz said previ- ; ous discriminatory conditions I were repealed in 1959. Since ! then naturalised citizens had > been on the same basis as i citizens by birth or descent. > Besides amending the BriI tish nationality and New Ze- • land Citizenship Act, 1948, I the Government had also > followed a polciy of amend- . ing all legislation which dis-

ariminated against naturalised citizens, Sir Leon Gotz said. As far as he knew, only one provision of this type remained —a section of the Reserve Bank Act restricting appointments to the board of the bank to Bautish subjects by birth—and this would be amended. There was no provision in any New Zealand legislation for the deportation of a New Zealand citizen whether he be such by birth, descent, or naturalisation, said Sir Leon Gotz.

Commander Welcomed.— Men of Fiji who fought in the Solomons during World War II gave a warm welcome to a New Zealander who trained and commanded them. He was Lieutenant- ; Colonel J. B, K. Taylor, who travelled specially to Fiji for a reunion to mark the 20th i anniversary of the embarka- . tion for the Solomons of the Ist Battalion, Fiji Infantry Regiment. He headed a , march of men of the battalion > through Suva, along a large part of the route they marched 20 years ago.