Warrant against Tongan may be withdrawn

Press, 27 July 1976, Page 2

Warrant against Tongan may be withdrawn

PA Rotorua The Minister of Immigration (Mr Gill) said yesterday that he was surprised at reports that the police had arrested a Tongan after he registered as an overstaying migrant. The Tongan registered in line with the stay of proceedings scheme Mr Gill announced in April in an effort to determine the number of overstayers. Mr Gill said that since the scheme was announced his department had not laid anv information with the police. He said he was expecting a full report from his department after he returned to Wellington from the National Party conference. “If a warrant was issued

after April 10, before people had a chance to register, it would have to be withdrawn.” said the Minister. The Labour Department may withdraw the charges against the Tongan, who was arrested on Thursday. The man. who had registered, was seized on a warrant issued on April 26 —l6 days after the Minister promised a stay of proceedings against those who came forward. “It is possible to withdraw the charge and we are looking at it now,” said Mr A. Smith, head of the immigration section of the Labour Department in Auckland. Attempts by C.A.R.E. and A.C.O.RJ). to form a coalition “to oppose the

persecution of Pacific Islanders” has brought a cool reaction from Samoan and Tongan leaders. ■‘Their interference is the kiss of death,” said Mr Vaiao Alailima-Eteuati. cochairman of the Pacific Island council, yesterday. “It Is a radical body which has nothing to do with us,” he said. “We have told them before we do not want them involved. We do not want overstayers to be used as a political football. We have achieved a hell of a lot by playing it cool." Mr Smith blamed bureaucratic delays for the late swearing of the warrant “We got instructions on April 7 from head office it Wellington to proceed,” he said. “By the time it went through the motions it was

April 26 before It got to court to be signed by a Magistrate.” There could be “a very lew” more cases like this. Many warrants—some estimate 500—were sworn out against overstayers before April 10, says Mr Smith. “We still have not heard, from Wellington about these. I do not know what is going to happen to them.” But if they have registered “these people should be 0.K.” The aim of the exercise was “to allow people to leave the country without conviction.” He said there had been an arrangement with the police since April 10 not to serve any overstayer warrants without getting the go-ahead from the immigration authorities.