Dept admits passport error

Press, 10 April 1978, Page 14

Dept admits passport error

PA Wellington The Immigration Department has admitted it made a 1 mistake in the case of a Japanese who appeared in court charged with overstaying. Sachio Morizono, aged 28, was remanded on $6OO bail by Mr J. A. Wicks, S.M., in the magistrate’s court at Wellington. He was charged with overstaying a 30-day entry permit that expired on January 12.

But the department lateradmitted a mistake had been made.

The deputy director of the department (Mr D. D. Bond) said that charges against Mr Morizono would be withdrawn. Through a departmental mistake, Mr Morizono had gained the impression he had a right to stay in New Zealand for four years, Mr Bond said.His passport had been wrongly stamped with the four-year right. It had been meant for another Japanese. “Because of that mistake we are prepared to

concede that he may well have assumed he was being considered for permanent entry and had no fear of any action being taken by the department,” Mr Bond said-

It appears the department discovered its mistake three weeks ago, but decided that Mr Morizono would still have to go. In an urgent telegram, the department’s Wellington office asked Mr Morizono and his wife to come for an interview. He and his New Zealand wife, aged 24, were spoken to separately and Mr Morizono’s passport taken from him.

The next time he saw his passport it was in the hands of the immigration officers who confronted the couple at their home after they finished work at the Victoria University’s cafeteria.

The four-year entry permit on which Mr Morizono had placed his hopes had “cancelled” stamped on it.

The officers said a departmental letter sent more than a week previously had not been an-

swered. They had taken the couple to Wellington Central Police Station, where Mr Morizono, who understands little English, was photographed and had his measurements taken. He was charged with overstaying a 30-day entry permit which expired on January 12. When Mr Morizono appeared in court he listened as his lawyer, Mr G. W. Calver, asked for a remand. Mr Calver said his client’s employers thought highly of him and were backing him and his wife. When the appearance was almost over, Mr Morizono called from the dock to the Magistrate. He asked in broken English why he was appearing: “Please explain, explain.” The Magistrate said the defendant would have to talk to his counsel. ' The Immigration Department does not know how the mistake arose. Mr Bond said it was possible a mix-up over names had caused Mr Morizono’s passport to be wrongly stamped on February 3. On that day, the couple had reported to the

department (the Wellington. office) in connection with Mr Morizono’s application for permanent residence.

It had been declined because Mr Morizono had already overstayed his entry permit. But somehow they came away with the four-year right of permanent entry stamp. Mr Bond said technically the department had been correct in charging Mr Morizono: he had overstayed his permit. the Government’s policy is not favourable to people who apply for permanent residence after their temporary permits expire. But Mr Bond said that because of the mistake, the department would now “favourably” consider the application.

Mr Morizono met his wife in a Wellington bar while he was in New Zealand of a month as a visitor in 1974. They kept in touch after he returned to Japan. They were married late last December when Mr Morizono returned to New Zealand.