GOVT. ATTITUDE TO IMMIGRATION LAWS

Press, Volume CVII, Issue 31384, 1 June 1967, Page 4

GOVT. ATTITUDE TO IMMIGRATION LAWS

The New Zealand Government dealt firmly with illegal immigrants and persons overstaying their permits, but it reacted when the singer, Johnny Devlin, was told to leave Britain, said Mr R. T. Thompson, of the- psychology department of the University of Canterbury, in an address to “Life Line” counsellors.

Mr Thompson spoke at the counsellors’ training programme on “Race Relations in the Community.”

The New Zealand Government was strict with its immigration laws and the effects felt by many persons, especially Fijian Indians, were the same New Zealanders and Australians could expect in Britain under the Commonwealth Immigration Act. He said that races in New Zealand lived in comparative harmony compared with those of other countries, and only rarely was there an incident that would affect “Life Line.” “If there is ever a racial incident the details are often published in our newspapers, and this, to a marked extent, acts as a corrective influence over this behaviour,” Mr Thompson said. But there were prejudices in every community and society. These were often built-in to personalities. Persons and families from European countries, as well as the Pacific Islands, sometimes had to face these prejudices,

and most of them were handled at a personal level.

Mr Thompson said the present racial situation in New Zeal-tnd might not last for ever because with increased numbers coming to this country from the Pacific, there would be more chance of complications.

“But New Zealand is predominantly European, and usually it is the immigrant who has to adjust,” he said. “This follows the pattern of immigration in other countries.”

Unlike Auckland, Christchurch did not have a large population of Maoris, and a housing survey revealed that the standard of housing here was better than further north. Many Maori families were taking up residence in new housing areas.