INFLUX OF ALIENS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 18965, 12 March 1925, Page 10

INFLUX OF ALIENS.

"PERMANENT TOURISTS." PERMIT SYSTEM ABUSED. PASSAGES FROM AUSTRALIA. NEW COMMONWEALTH LAW. Over 50 Jugo-Slav-s who arrived this week by the Marama and Maheno woro allowed to land upon temporary permits, and another detachment will arrive without permanent permits by tho Uliinaroa. Tho law provides for the issue of temporary permits of six months' duration to aliens who come for tho purposes of business, pleasure, or health, but the Minister for Customs has power to make theso permits permanent if he is satisfied that the holders would have been accepted as residents if application had been made in tho proper manner. There is overy reason for believing that all the arrivals by tho ships mentioned will receive authority to settle permanently in tho country. It would appear that the Government has gone out of its way to facilitate the entrance of Dalmatians not regularly approved by British Consuls in Jugoslavia. When application is made in the ordinary way, the intending immigrant must furnish to a British Consul in his country a certificate of character, tho chief features of which arc that he must not havo been in the hands of the police for five years and that he is not a member of revolutionary organisations. He must also produce a certificate of health, and show that he has sufficient funds to pay a deposit of £lO upon arrival. The papers bearing the signature of the British Consul are sent to New Zealand, and presumably approved as a matter of course. In Distress In Sydney. In the case of the people arriving by tho, three ships it has been explained that they reached Australia a month or two ago by a French ship, and intended to remain there, but they could not find work. One reason advanced was the ship- ' ping strike, and another was that Jugoslavs had had their reputation damaged by the conduct of Macedonians, Greeks and Turks who had corno to the country a§ Jugo-Slavs. The result, was that relatives in New Zealand had to maintain them. It would appear that as local Jugo-Slavs thought it would bo better to bring theso peoplo t5 the Dominion than to maintain them in Sydney, representations were mado to tho Government, and although only temporary permits have been granted, there is evidently a fairly definite understanding that these so-called tourists, who, incidentally, have probably had their deposits paid by relatives, will be allowed to becomo permanent residents. Australian Restrictions. It is possible, however, that thero is more in this than meets the eye- Recently tho Commonwealth immigration law was tightened up very considerably. Any immigrant who is deemed likely to become a charge upon the country owing to in- * firmity may be prohibited. Of late alien Europeans have become a public charge in a number of States. As openings for them are strictly limited, especially those who are unable to spoak the English language, it has beeu decided that they will be rofused entrance to Australia unless, in addition to the usnal requirements regarding health, each adult is in possession of £4O on arrival, his maintenance is guaranteed in writing by a resident of Australia, who is in a position to give such a guarantee, and his admission has been specially authorised. British consular authorities have been requested by the Commonwealth to place a limitation upon tho number of visas granted to intending emigrants to, Australia, in Greece, Jugo-Slavia, and Albania. People from these countries arriving without authorities are liable to be rejected. British visas are necessary in respect of all foreigners except tho subjects of Franco, Sweden, Norway, Switzerland, and Italy. The requirement that authorised aliens must have £4O landing money is not to bo strictly enforced until after March 31. 1925. Those arriving in the meantime mil*-' ' 1. possession of £lO. A further pr.-flSß*™* that whore an immigrant, within three years of his arrival in Australia, becomes a charge upon public funds, the shipping company whose vessel brought him may be called on to provido a return passage to tho country whence he came. Menace to New Zealand. Is: it not possible that these restricting provisions in Australia may have a bearing upon the present influx of Southern Europeans, particularly Jugo-Slavs ? For instance, is it not likely that the necessity of obtaining a written guarantee from an' approved resident, for maintenance for an indefinite period, may prove an obstacle in many cases ? Is it not possiblo that the new Australian restrictions may tend to pass on to New Zealand aliens who cannot meet tho requirements, and should this be so, how can they be provented from landing under temporary permits provided thoy havo sufficient funds? There is little doubt, of course, that ■v these Dalmatians who, it is stated, all have relatives in New Zealand, have received financial assistance from them. The suggestion is that Dalmatians are very " clanish." and willingly help one another. But there remains the possibility that some of the financial assistance, or financial assistance from any source, might mean hard contracts and cheap labour for someone. Chinese " Tourists." The issue of temporary permits to peoplo who cannot possibly be classed , as tourists or men of business may result in abuse of the Act. New Zealand does not want Australia's rejects nor any part of Australia's regularly admitted aliens. The whole intention of tho New Zealand law is to regulate the inflow of aliens by tho system which requires tho visa of British consuls. Admittance under the guiso of a temporary permit is a backdoor entrance. In regard to Chinese, a close observer of port activities assorts that the temporary permit is being abused. He affirms that Chinese frequently arrive from Fiji on tho permit which allows them to remain for six months. Apart from tho matter of a poll-tax guarantee, they sign an undertaking not to engage in labour. This undertaking, he assorts, is a dead letter, that, they work-' for six months and return to Fiji showing a substantial profit on the trip. It is possiblo, he says, 3 that thoy may return again and again by this system. Tho largo number of aliens now entering the country as permanent residents is sufficient to cause uneasiness seeing that Britain's unemployed havo first claim upon the country. If the number is to bo swelled by " permanent tourists," a very grave position will bo created.