Overstayers ‘embarrassing’
PA Auckland Tongan overstayers are 'an embarrassment, King Taufa’ahau Tupou IV of Tonga says. Speaking in Auckland last week, the king said overstaying was a personal problem for the people concerned. “They take the action of coming here and overstaying their permits hoping to get away with it,” he said.
About 500 Tongans attended a meeting in Grey Lynn last week to hear community leaders explain the Government’s latest immigration laws. A three-month amnesty allowing overstayers to register and apply for permanent status expires at the end of this month.
The amnesty makes no guarantees about winning permanent residency but promises those who register that they will not automatically be barred from returning to New Zealand at a later date.
There are thought to be
more than 2000 Tongan overstayers in Auckland. The king said it was a good idea for people to register for the amnesty as it would clarify people’s status. “It is a problem for the Tongan Government, too,” he said. “We give them a passport to come and visit relations. If they overstay it is very embarrassing for the Tongan Government.”
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Press, 25 January 1988, Page 7
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187Overstayers ‘embarrassing’ Press, 25 January 1988, Page 7
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