Fijians’ claims wear thin

Press, 11 November 1989, Page 7

Fijians’ claims wear thin

PA Auckland The Immigration Service will no longer accept Fiji citizens* claims that they face harassment at home as ground for New Zealand residency. The service’s general manager, Mr Peter Jones, said yesterday, however, that individual cases would be examined if any particular matters arose. Mr Jones said a general guideline of not taking such claims as the basis for residency had now been adopted and staff in all service offices had been advised. The move followed a memo to Mr

Jones from the senior immigration officer at the Suva High Commission, Mr Kerry Ridgway, who said many applicants had been using the coup-time problems as their reason for wanting New Zealand residency. “We cannot endorse claims that it would be unsafe for people to return to Fiji at the current time, or that they would be singled out for harsh treatment if they were to do so,” Mr Ridgway said. “Many prominent Coalition leaders and activists are able to live and operate under current conditions in Fiji without experiencing overt harassment”