Islander angered by immigration approach

Press, 9 June 1986, Page 32

Islander angered by immigration approach

PA Rotorua Immigration officers knocking on his door seeking information about alleged overstayers do not amuse Mr Posala Toleafoa. The Rotorua-based secretary of the Pacific Islands Polynesian Association is angered at a visit by two Hamilton employees of the Immigration Department. He blames what he says is the Government’s lack of an immigration policy for the intrusion by the department. “This Labour Government makes plenty of promises about immigration but hasn’t come clean on what is the attitude towards Pacific islands,” Mr Toleafoa said. “If it is the intention of the Government to create

a secret service to hound down overstayers, and to direct the police and immigration to assist, let them say so and the Pacific Islanders will know what to expect,” he said. Mr Toleafoa said he was quite happy to assist anybody, but believed that being pestered by immigration officials as to the whereabouts of possible overstayers was a breach of privacy. “If the police came asking about burglars, rapists or murderers I would be only too happy to help out. But it isn’t the job of the ordinary person to be questioned at length and shown photographs trying to identify overstayers,” he said. The head of Hamilton’s immigration department, Mr Hec Northover, said

the visit to Mr Toleafoa was a routine one. “The Hamilton office includes the whole of the Bay of Plenty and as far south as Turangi and visits are few each year. We act on information and the visit to Mr Toleafoa would only be one of several made during the trip to Rotorua,” he said.

“Somebody has to do the knocking and asking and it happens to fall on my department. The householder can refuse admission, ask the officers to leave the property, and isn’t required to answer any questions,” said Mr Northover. "For obvious reasons I can’t say where we receive our information from,” he said.