Maori’s Tongan wife refused re-entry

Press, 17 December 1976, Page 3

Maori’s Tongan wife refused re-entry

T*A Wellington p A Maori community 1 worker, Fred Ellis, faces ] a lonely Christmas. Hisli Tongan-born wife. Sita. ' has been refused re-; 1 entry to New Zealand , after a trip to Tonga. ; The Immigration Division! gave no reasons in its letteri to Mrs Ellis, and Mr Ellis! said it refused to elaborate! on the decision when hep telephoned its head office in Wellington. 11 “I feel so sad.” Mr Ellis said. ‘Tin entitled to an ex- I planation. How can you ex-ji plain to her on the tele-p phone why she is not! allowed back. She is myb wife. I “What does the Minister!' expect me to tell her, I ass! Mr Gill. What do I teil mv wife?” I Mr and Mrs Ellis were i married at the Auck'and Registry Office on December : 12, 1974. Mrs Ellis was an i overstayer. ano returned!'

home early in January, 1975 i i Mr Ellis has been ’ helping! overstayers. When his wife! (received a letter telling ner| (to go back, he sad, he thought it best to "do the| I thing the rignt wax’’ so that! I he could not ne accused of (trying to get favoured treat-i iment. ( Mrs Ellis, formerly a, (widow, has three young chil-l j dren in Tonga, and the couple ■ i want to bring them to New I I Zealand. I Mr Ellis renewed a letter! (from the New Zealand immi-j igration official in Tonga, Mr I (Don Gordon, recently, asking him to confirm that the mar-1 riage had taken place, and (that he wanted his wife to] (return. I “I was going to post my [reply yesterday, when I got ! the news. They made the decision without asKing me ( a question,” said Mr E’lis. “J 'wonder if my being vicepresident of C.A.R.E. has anything to do with it. “I’m really angry. I’ve seen so many others come into the country and cieliberjately overstay, yet the Min-

lister has extended his blessing to them. I’m a New Zealander, who followed the rules and is now being penalised. I ‘Tve given a hell of a lot to the community. I love helping people. But now, (when it comes >o doing something for myse'f, I’m I completely at a loss. Who (can I turn to?” Mr Ellis runs two boardling houses for Carrington I Hospital out-patients. He (also has six emergency [houses for distressed famiI lies. He founded and helps to run the Tenants Protection Association, and is conJvenor of the Ponsonby Comimunity Centre. He is also a [Citizen’s Advice Bureau ( interviewer. J “For the last two Cbrist- | masses we have had com(munity Christmas dinners for the lonely and others with nowhere to go. How the hell am I supposed to carry on with that with my wife in Tonga. I’m only human. My happiness will seem very hollow,” he said.