British nurse ‘campaigning’ to enter N.Z.

Press, 15 March 1980, Page 6

British nurse ‘campaigning’ to enter N.Z.

inzfA London A British male nurse, who says that the New Zealand Government is keeping him apart from his family, is intensifying his campaign to be allowed to come to New Zealand. The parents of Ronald Allanson, aged 33, a nurse at a psychiatric hospital at Chichester in southern England, emigrated to New Zealand in 1972, but he has three times been refused permission to join them. Mr Allanson said the West Coast Hospital Board had agreed to employ him, providing he could overcome the immigration formalities.

He said one application had gone unanswered, and the other two had been refused on health grounds. Mr Allanson underwent a kidney transplant in 1969 and three 1

years ago.he had a complete hip replacement. The New Zealand Immigration Department, after taking advice from the Health Department, considered that Mr Allanson could be a burden on the State. Mr Allanson says he is in good physical shape and that neither of his operations now adversely affects him, although he is on a daily course of drugs and needs a monthly hospital check. The only concession he has had from New Zealand was a temporary permit to visit his parents and other relatives for nine weeks last year. Permission to stay permanently was refused. He has written to the Queen and has since received a reply saying his letter was being referred to the Governor-General, Sir 'Keith Holyoake.