Samoans in a ‘no-man’s land’

Press, 28 October 1982, Page 1

Samoans in a ‘no-man’s land’

PA Wellington Samoans in New Zealand who have not applied for citizenship, do not hold citizenship. and do not have permanent residence, are in a no-man's land, according to the director of the Immigration Division. Mr D. D. Bond.

The Minister of Immigration. Mr Malcolm announced on Tuesday evening that the Government had frozen applications for permanent residence by Western Samoans living’ in New Zealand.

The freeze was put in place at the instigation of some members of the Cabinet.

Mr Malcolm agreed it was “fairly logical" to grant permanent residence to people entitled to citizenship- because they were already in New Zealand, but “even if it is a simple and logical step I have colleagues who believe it should nevertheless have been a matter of consultation with the Western Samoan Government.” Mr Bond said yesterday that at the time the legislation was passed it was estimated there were 6000 Samoans eligible to benefit from the legislation.

He did not know how many had applied for citizenship but said that by the time the freeze was applied on permanent residence on October 18. the division had dealt with several hundred permanent resident applications.

Mr George Rosenburg. the Wellington lawyer who took a case to the Privy Council which led to the decision, which in turn led to the legislation, said he knew of at least two persons who were in difficulty because of the freeze.

They had made arrangements' to visit Samoa and had relied on Government assurances.

“All they have got now is a

Western Samoan passport with no indication in it that they are allowed to return to New Zealand." he said.

He had advised one person to cancel the trip. Mr Rosenburg said the freeze decision did exactly what the Government had said it did not want to doforce Western Samoans to become New Zealand citizens.

He suspected that the reasons the Minister of Immigration put forward for the freeze were probably correct.

"When he explained to the Cabinet how the matter was being handled some members who did not understand the situation and who are opposed to Samoan immigration put their foot down. "I would prefer not to believe it but a more sinister interpretation would be that they are trying to force the Samoan Government into making another more rash, hasty decision that it would regret." Mr Rosenberg said. Labour’s Deputy Leader, Mr Lange, said that the action showed that the Government was "clearly a shambles." He said the freeze was in the face of the recent legislation which gave Western Samoans living in New Zealand New Zealand citizenship and the right of permanent residence.

Mr Lange said the Government should explain why the block was imposed “when it is against every assurance the Minister of Justice. Mr McLay, gave to Western Samoa, Western Samoans in New Zealand, and the New Zealand House of Representatives."

“Quite apart from having failed to examine our immigration relationship with Western Samoa and ending the absurd 30-day visitor restriction. the Government is welshing on the word of its Attorney-General. This is intolerable," Mr Lange said.