More residence anomalies found

Press, 10 April 1978, Page 3

More residence anomalies found

! PA Auckland I The member of Paliament; 'for Auckland Central (Mr R. W. Prebble) said yesterday khat he knew of two more ■persons who were refused: ■ residence in New Zealand in: |spite of being married to. I New Zealanders. I Replying to reported criticism of him by the Prime. Minister (Mr Muldoon) he said he would go on questioning injustice. ■ “I have nothing personal: against the Prime Minister’s son-in-law, Mr Bartho,” he said. “I onlv want to know whV| i an unskilled farm labourer

from South Africa can get permanent residence in New ■Zealand while highly skilled people who come from ComI mon wealth countries and who are married to New Zealanders are refused.” i Last week, Mr Prebble charged the Immigration Division of the Labour Department with “apoalling inconsistency and apparent favouritism” in allowing Mr ' F. H. Bartho, a South African, permanent residence. Commenting on a a call by the Leader of the Opposi- ; tion (Mr Rowling) for higher . standards of conduct in politics, Mr Muldoon said he

was “a little concerned about this attack” on his son-in-law. He said Mr Rowring should clear up his own party first and start with Mr Prebble. “Everyone in New Zealand knows it was the Prime Minister who introduced personal attacks into our politics,” said Mr Prebble. “Some of us are not frightened of him and I will go on questioning injustice.” He said he had received reports at the week-end of two more cases about persons being refused residence, in spite of being married to .New Zealanders. “In the first case a New

Zealander married a Fijian' • woman whose permit was ! valid at the time of the mar- 1 ; |riage,” said Mr Prebble. (“The Immigration Depart-, ment refused an extension }' and would not accept an application for permanent resi-j' idence. “The woman returned to 'Fiji and unsuccessfully tried; to apply from there. Her husband travelled to Fiji to.' see the New Zealand immigration authorities in Suva (and he has got in touch, (with the office of the Minis-I ter of Immigration (Mr Gill). ■ “They have been separated for nearly three months and the Immigration Department;

' still has not even acknow-, ledged receipt of their apph-' I cation.” In the second case, a Fi-] jian married a young Maori | woman. “After the marriage he I was deported, even though his wife was pregnant.” said Mr Prebble. “The wife had Ito have the baby alone, and I soon after birth the baby! died. I “The Immigration Department still has not allowed ihim permanent residence; and the wife is not well I enough to go to Fiji.” He called on Mr Gill to, ; explain.