RefNZ NewsArchives
2001
Index
31 December 2001 Refugee campaigner becomes Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit
28 December 2001 Australia asks East Timorese to leave
22 December 2001 More Tampa refugee claimants approved
19 December 2001 Security Intelligence Service investigating people-smugglers
15 December 2001 Afghan man sent to jail for falsely claiming refugee status
14 December 2001 Australian asylum-seekers and tuberculosis
13 December 2001 States Parties reaffirm the 1951 Refugee Convention
13 December 2001 Australia spending $A500 million on the 'Pacific solution'
12 December 2001 Alien smuggler apprehended, prosecuted and expelled
11 December 2001 Spent Convictions Bill introduced to Parliament
11 December 2001 More criticism of Australia's refugee policy
10 December 2001 Twenty-nine refugee claimants in detention
8 December 2001 More Tampa refugee claimants approved
7 December 2001 Suspected terrorist admits to planning attacks in Australia
7 December 2001 Villawood escaper returned to Australia
7 December 2001 Riot charges faced by resettlement refugees withdrawn
7 December 2001 Australia may have to take back refugee claimants from South Pacific countries
1 December 2001 LTTE link to New Zealand investigated
30 November 2001 Refugee families need practical help
30 November 2001 Seventeen Tampa refugee claimants approved
27 November 2001 Third Villawood escaper claims refugee status in New Zealand
26 November 2001 Anti-terrorism regulations approved
26 November 2001 Submissions on registration of immigration consultants - 14 December 2001 deadline
26 November 2001 Australia approaches Tuvalu to become refugee processing centre
24 November 2001 Fiji refuses to become refugee processing centre
24 November 2001 Interpol wants man linked to Thai refugee scam in New Zealand
24 November 2001 Refugee applications cost $50 million - Minister of Immigration to toughen penalties for people-smugglers
22 November 2001 Thai police issue warrants for three people linked to refugee scam in New Zealand
22 November 2001 Government refuses to resettle 39 Burmese families
22 November 2001 RefNZ Website Upgrade - Refugee Lawyers Page added
22 November 2001 Extradition ordered for former refugee claimant
21 November 2001 Australian police have applied to extradite from New Zealand a man refused refugee status in Australia
20 November 2001 Thailand urges tough action on refugee scam
20 November 2001 Afghan denied refugee status applies for judicial review
19 November 2001 Thai scam headed for Canada?
17 November 2001 Refugee scam involving Thais exposed
14 November 2001 Multicultural centre opened in Hamilton
12 November 2001 UK proposes detention without trial
8 November 2001 Trafficker arrested in Indonesia
8 November 2001 UNHCR Global Consultations - expert roundtable on illegal entry and family unity
4 November 2001 Stowaway vessel to be investigated
4 November 2001 Shorter wait for refugee interviews
2 November 2001 New UNHCR Regional Representative visits New Zealand
1 November 2001 Compulsory citizenship classes for UK immigrants
1 November 2001 New chairperson for Refugee Status Appeals Authority appointed
31 October 2001 Fiji may become refugee processing centre
30 October 2001 Inquiry into claims made by stowaways
29 October 2001 Minister of Immigration questions stowaway claim
28 October 2001 Asylum-seekers reported to have entered as stowaways
26 October 2001 Claim that asylum-seekers forced on to unseaworthy vessel
26 October 2001 Thai nationals refused refugee status to be deported
26 October 2001 Rioting charges faced by resettlement refugees withdrawn
25 October 2001 English Court of Appeal rules asylum detentions legal
25 October 2001 Disturbance in PNG detention camp
24 October 2001 Boatpeople drown
23 October 2001 Annual report of Refugee Status Appeals Authority now available on this website
19 October 2001 English Court of Appeal upholds policy on detention of asylum-seekers whose claims can be decided quickly
19 October 2001 Australia approaches Pacific Island states to take Australian boatpeople
16 October 2001 Michigan Guidelines on Nexus to a Convention Ground now available on this website
15 October 2001 Australian government says its policies are deterring boatpeople
11 October 2001 Papua New Guinea agrees to accept boatpeople refused entry to Australia
9 October 2001 Resettlement refugees face new charges
7 October 2001 Important study of interpreters working for the Refugee Status Appeals Authority now available on this website
6 October 2001 Refugee and Migrant Service underfunded and facing staff cuts
6 October 2001 Bail for two men facing fraud charges in relation to their refugee applications
5 October 2001 Poll shows that a third of New Zealanders believe New Zealand accepts too many refugees
4 October 2001 Barristers acting in refugee matters no longer need instructing solicitor
4 October 2001 More boatpeople land at Nauru
4 October 2001 Tampa youths released from custody
3 October 2001 Resettlement refugees reconcile
3 October 2001 Funding increase for English language courses
3 October 2001 Asylum-seekers refuse to disembark at Nauru; UNHCR refuses to assess any further groups taken to Nauru
3 October 2001 Detained youths may be released; refugees apologise for fighting
2 October 2001 New Zealand to give $1 million to humanitarian relief for Afghan people
2 October 2001 Prime Minister says group of men detained in a maximum security prison are not terrorists
2 October 2001 Ten Iraqi and Iranian resettlement refugees appear in Court
2 October 2001 Nauru refuses to accept asylum-seekers forcibly removed from troop ship
1 October 2001 Detained youths not aware of reason for detention
1 October 2001 Nothing to fear from police inquiry
1 October 2001 Resettlement refugees become violent
30 September 2001 Anti-terrorism legislation to be fast-tracked; annual refugee quota may be reviewed
30 September 2001 Nauru agrees to process 262 more asylum-seekers
30 September 2001 Health and processing costs for Afghan refugee claimants in New Zealand
29 September 2001 Australian immigration legislation receive assent
29 September 2001 Long delay for English language classes
29 September 2001 Two Tampa asylum-seekers detained in prison for security reasons
29 September 2001 Police to investigate possible links between Afghan terrorist organisations and New Zealand
28 September 2001 Tampa asylum-seekers refused refugee status will be returned
26 September 2001 First group of Tampa asylum-seekers arrive in New Zealand
26 September 2001 High Commissioner for Refugees says genuine refugees should not be made victims again
25 September 2001 Only genuine refugees from the Tampa will be accepted by New Zealand
25 September 2001 Further warning of terrorist link
24 September 2001 Asylum-seeker arrested and detained in Mt Eden Prison
21 September 2001 Islamic terrorists said to operate in New Zealand
20 September 2001 Asylum-seekers to stay in Nauru until appeal period expires
20 September 2001 New Zealand to detain refugee claimants who arrive without documentation
19 September 2001 Government to provide extra funding for Aviation Security Service
19 September 2001 Australia introduces new immigration legislation
18 September 2001 Tampa decision reversed by full court of the Federal Court of Australia
14 September 2001 New 0800 number for information on terrorism
14 September 2001 Claim that Afghan refugees a threat
13 September 2001 Call to avoid linking NZ Muslim and refugee communities to terrorists
11 September 2001 Terrorist attacks on New York and Washington
11 September 2001 Single judge of Australian Federal Court orders release of persons rescued at sea by the Tampa
10 September 2001 Extradition for USA visa fraud fails
9 September 2001 Prime Minister expresses concern about continuing flow of asylum-seekers attempting to land in Australia
6 September 2001 UNHCR Global Consultations - expert roundtable on membership of a particular social group, gender-related persecution and internal protection/relocation/flight alternative
1 September 2001 Prime Minister demands action on Afghan refugee problem
1 September 2001 New Zealand to admit up to 150 "Tampa" asylum-seekers
30 August 2001 Seminar on Gender-Related Persecution
28 August 2001 Australia refuses entry to asylum-seekers rescued at sea
20 August 2001 Two inquiries ordered into marriage fraud
18 August 2001 Immigration marriage fraud uncovered
17 August 2001 Ethical guidelines for immigration and refugee law practitioners proposed
16 August 2001 Claim that New Zealand is a soft touch for "refugees"
16 August 2001 Villawood escaper denied work permit
15 August 2001 UNHCR says New Zealand can be proud of its asylum policies
15 August 2001 Escaper from Villawood Detention Centre in Sydney seeks refugee status in New Zealand
27 July 2001 UNHCR 50th Anniversary - Dinner
12 July 2001 Thai entries fall; abuse of refugee process; trafficking in women
9 July 2001 UNHCR Global Consultations - expert roundtable on principle of non-refoulement and supervisory responsibility
6 July 2001 ESOL scholarships awarded
2 July 2001 Indian police make terrorist inquiry in New Zealand
30 June 2001 Target date for reducing backlog of refugee claims
25 June 2001 Passport fraud penalty upheld by Court of Appeal
20 June 2001 World Refugee Day acknowledged by NZ government
20 June 2001 World Refugee Day
5 June 2001 High Court dismisses application for review
31 May 2001 Escapee from a Sydney refugee detention centre wanted by NZ police in fraud investigation
26 May 2001 Failed refugee claimant sentenced to three-and-a-half years
24 May 2001 Government increases funding for refugee resettlement
19 May 2001 Failed refugee claimant convicted on numerous charges
18 May 2001 Government releases guidelines for contracting with NGOs
10 May 2001 High Court sets aside decision of Refugee Status Appeals Authority in one judicial review application but dismisses one other application
9 May 2001 Pilot scheme by Auckland and Manukau cities to assist migrants and refugees attacked
4 May 2001 High Court dismisses application for review
3 May 2001 UNHCR Global Consultations - expert roundtable on cessation and exclusion
1 May 2001 Office of Ethnic Affairs launched
1 May 2001 New publication on security and intelligence agencies
28 April 2001 NZ Security Intelligence Service refers to terrorist link
20 April 2001 Australian federal and state Immigration Ministers meet
12 April 2001 Refugee Status Appeals Authority publishes decision addressing the withdrawal of appeals and whether a withdrawal may be retracted
5 April 2001 Auckland District Law Society seminar - Part II
30 March 2001 Refugee status procedures abused
23-25 March 2001 Second Michigan Colloquium on Challenges in International Refugee Law
21 March 2001 Immigration statistics update
17 March 2001 Minister of Immigration rejects group application by Chinese Indonesians
8 March 2001 High Court dismisses application for habeas corpus and judicial review
8 March 2001 Minister issues warning on withholding of passports
28 February 2001 Minister updates situation of failed refugee status claimants excluded from amnesty
28 February 2001 RefNZ Website Upgrade - High Court refugee decisions now available in full text with comprehensive index
27 February 2001 Exodus to Australia
26 February 2001 Australia changes residence and citizenship arrangements for New Zealand citizens moving to Australia
26 February 2001 Auckland District Law Society Seminar on immigration and refugee law issues
21 February 2001 More funds allocated to refugee resettlement support
17 February 2001 Minister of Immigration disclaims responsibility for grievance claims
13 February 2001 Somali woman sentenced to periodic detention
10 February 2001 Immigration Service to settle claims by immigration officers
9 February 2001 Skilled migration to increase
9 February 2001 Minister of Immigration to consider enhancing refugee resettlement and enforcing standards for immigration consultants
2 February 2001 High Court decides not to award costs in M v RSAA
1 February 2001 Government allocates funds to assist migrants
21 Janaury 2001 Minister of Immigration names members of Immigration Advisory Group
9 January 2001 Regulation of immigration consultants proposed
31 December 2001 In the New Year Honours Horace William (Bill) Smith has become a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to refugees. Mr Smith is secretary of the Auckland Refugee Council and Refugee Co-ordinator of Amnesty International, New Zealand.
[Gregg Wycherley, "Refugees' friend veteran battler", NZ Herald, Monday, December 31, 2001, p A7]
28 December 2001 The Australian Government says that refugees from East Timor can return home as safety has been restored there. The Minister of Immigration, Mr Ruddock is reported as saying that it is not unreasonable to ask 1,600 East Timorese nationals to return home in order to make way for other refugees in the nation's humanitarian programme.
["'Go home' call", NZ Herald, Friday, December 28, 2001, p B2]
22 December 2001 Of the 131 Tampa boatpeople received by New Zealand, 122 have been accepted as refugees. All are Afghans. A further nine are still having their backgrounds verified amid official concern that they are not who they say they are. It is reported that Cabinet documents released under the Official Information Act 1982 reveal that Australia and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees asked New Zealand to accept all 438 of the Tampa group for processing. The Government rejected the request but offered to accept 80, later extended to 150. The papers reveal the selection criteria put unaccompanied children, family groups and single women first, followed by others with special humanitarian needs. The Minister of Immigration was sent a list of 143 to approve for selection, but asked for more information on many of them. The offer of help is expected to cost New Zealand about $2 million.
[Eugene Bingham, "Greener home for 122 Afghans", Weekend Herald, December 22, 2001, p A5]
19 December 2001 In its report for the year ended June 2001, the New Zealand Security Intelligence Service has disclosed that it is investigating whether organised people-smuggling networks are operating in New Zealand. It has confirmed there are support structures within various communities to assist illegal migrants to New Zealand. Inquiries are continuing to see whether these groups form an organised people-smuggling network with links overseas.
["People smugglers probe", NZ Herald, Wednesday, December 19, 2001, p A7]
15 December 2001 An Afghan man has been sentenced to nine months imprisonment for falsely claiming refugee status. He has admitted making false statements in his application for refugee status in July 1996 after he arrived in New Zealand using a refugee travel document with a substitute photograph. He claimed to have been imprisoned and tortured in Afghanistan because he had been an army officer and a member of the secret police during communist rule. Later investigations found that he had not been an army officer or a member of the secret police and had never been persecuted. Instead he had been a long term resident in Asia using a number of identities. He had destroyed a Pakistani passport before arriving in New Zealand. After obtaining refugee status he had received unemployment benefits in excess of NZ$36,000.
["Jail for false refugee bid", Weekend Herald, December 15, 2001, p A11]
14 December 2001 Four refugee claimants on Christmas Island are suspected of having tuberculosis and one has tested positive for HIV. The Government spokesman says that it is not uncommon for boat arrivals to have TB with the rate predicted to be 30 times the national average. The Acting Minister of Immigration is reported as saying that the detection of the health problems reinforced the need for a mandatory detention policy as it allows screening for diseases that pose a public health risk and the provision of treatment to the detainees.
[AAP, "Checks pick up TB, HIV", NZ Herald, Friday, December 14, 2001, p B3]
13 December 2001 At a Ministerial meeting of States Parties to the 1951 Refugee Convention representatives have solemnly reaffirmed their commitment to implement their obligations under the Refugee Convention fully and effectively in accordance with the object and purpose of the Convention and the 1967 Protocol.
[Declaration reaffirming the 1951 Geneva Refugee Convention, 13 December 2001]
13 December 2001 A day after Australia agreed to grant Nauru a further $A10 million to accept 400 more boatpeople, it has been reported that the cost of "the Pacific solution" is between $A400 million and $A500 million. The costs include the direct expense of transporting refugee claimants to Nauru and Papua New Guinea on navy ships as well as health care, camp accommodation and security.
[AAP, "Boatpeople 'solution' costly", NZ Herald, Thursday, December 13, 2001]
12 December 2001 A man from Saudi Arabia was apprehended at Auckland International Airport on Monday, 10 December 2001 after authorities discovered that he was escorting three Iraqi women into New Zealand using a falsified passport. The women intended applying for refugee status and upon arrival in New Zealand did so. In the Manukau District Court the man pleaded guilty to a charge of possessing a falsified passport and three charges of helping the three Iraqi women into New Zealand without visas. The Court was told that Iraqi nationals require a visa to visit New Zealand whereas Saudi nationals do not. The man and three women arrived in New Zealand on a falsified passport showing the three Iraqis posing as the man's family, thereby enabling the group to travel to New Zealand without visas. The man was paid US$5,000. He was fined NZ$1,000 and NZ$130 for the falsified passport charge and NZ$200 each for the other three charges. In imposing sentence, the District Court Judge said that he had to weigh whether to jail the man so New Zealand was not seen as an easy target for smuggling people or send him home so he would not be a drain on the taxpayer. The fine of NZ$1,730 was imposed along with an order that the man leave New Zealand on a flight from New Zealand that he had already booked.
["Smuggler of Iraqis sent home", NZ Herald, Wednesday, December 12, 2001, front page]
11 December 2001 The Minister of Justice has introduced to Parliament a Bill designed to allow people with minor convictions who have not re-offended to put their past behind them. The Criminal Records (Clean Slate) Bill allows those with convictions which did not result in a custodial sentence to effectively have their criminal records sealed after a ten-year period without further convictions. However, disclosure will still be required to be made to law enforcement agencies undertaking investigations or prosecutions and in criminal or civil proceedings before the court or parole hearings. The Minister also says that the law does not and cannot change requirements by foreign states to disclose convictions for border control and immigration proceedings.
[Hon Phil Goff, "Goff introduces Clean Slate Bill", Media Statement, Tuesday, 11 December 2001]
11 December 2001 Australia's tough approach to refugee claimants has been criticised in a report by the Catholic Church Commission for Justice and Peace. It follows the publication of a special refugee edition of the Australian Medical Journal which carries a series of articles attacking the Government's policies. The Minister of Immigration, Philip Ruddock has called the criticism "far fetched".
[AAP, "Australia attracts chorus of criticism", NZ Herald, Tuesday, December 11, 2001, p B3]
10 December 2001 Twenty-nine refugee claimants are currently being detained in Auckland following the new procedures introduced by the government after the September 11 terrorist attacks in the United States of America. It is reported that ten or eleven claimants are being held in the Mt Eden Remand Prison and eighteen in a new secure area at the Mangere Refugee Resettlement Centre. As a consequence the number of refugee claimants staying at the Glendene hostel run by the Auckland Refugee Council had been substantially reduced. The hostel has room for twenty-three people but presently houses only thirteen. The secretary of the Council is reported as saying that as the centre's funding depended on its residents, the hostel would not be able to carry on unless the numbers of residents increased. The UNHCR Senior Liaison Officer for New Zealand, Hans ten Feld is reported as saying that the UNHCR policy was for asylum-seekers to have their cases considered in a normal and regular way but he understood that some of those at Mt Eden are not co-operating with the authorities in helping them to establish their identity. If people are not co-operating or are unlawfully trying to cheat or come on fraudulent documents and insist that that is the true documentation, the UNHCR could understand that detention would be resorted to. But detention should be the exception rather than the rule. The Minister of Corrections, Matt Robson is reported as saying that the new policy did not amount to mandatory detention. He is attending a UNHCR ministerial meeting in Geneva this week at which he will oppose moves by Australia and Britain to narrow the existing Refugee Convention which requires countries to accept genuine refugees. He said that "We want to stake our claim in support of the Convention - making improvements and not retrograde steps".
[Simon Collins, "Govt stance on refugees 'breaches conventions'", NZ Herald, Monday, December 10, 2001, p A5]
8 December 2001 It is reported that sixty of the 131 Afghan refugee claimants who arrived in Auckland on 25 September 2001 have so far been granted refugee status. The rest of those rescued from the Tampa have completed their hearings and are awaiting final decisions. Nineteen of them will learn today that they have been granted refugee status. The first group of Tampa refugees to move into the community will do so today.
["Tampa family move into home", Weekend Herald, December 8, 2001, p A14]
7 December 2001 A man suspected of links with the terrorist network of Osama bin Laden has confessed to planning suicide attacks in Australia, where he took flying lessons. He was arrested in India on suspicion of having links with al Qaeda. The nationality of the man has not been revealed. The New Zealand Police are unaware whether there is any New Zealand link.
[Scott Inglis, "Terror suspect admits plot to hit Australia", NZ Herald, Friday, December 7, 2001, front page]
7 December 2001 A twenty-one year old man who escaped from Villawood Detention Centre in Sydney has been returned to Australia after being held in Mt Eden Prison. He had tried to appeal against the rejection of his refugee status claim by the New Zealand Immigration Service.
["Escaper expelled", NZ Herald, Friday, December 7, 2001, p A4]
7 December 2001 Five Iranians charged with rioting at the Whangaparaoa temporary refugee camp have avoided conviction with the withdrawal by the police of charges relating to a clash with five Iraqis on 30 September 2001. The men have completed a police diversion scheme.
["Riot charges withdrawn", NZ Herald, Friday, December 7, 2001, p A4]
7 December 2001 The Australian Minister of Immigration, Philip Ruddock is reported as saying that Australia might be forced to take most of the boatpeople detained in Nauru and Papua New Guinea.
["Asylum stand", NZ Herald, Friday, December 7, 2001, p B3]
1 December 2001 Security agencies are investigating allegations that the Sri Lankan separatist movement, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) has links in New Zealand. The LTTE has been described as a terrorist organisation. Tamils settled in New Zealand fear money they send back to Sri Lanka could mean jail under tough new anti-terrorism laws. Under the Terrorism (Bombings and Financing) Bill it will be a crime punishable by fourteen years imprisonment to knowingly raise money for terrorist attacks. Recklessly providing money to an organisation that turns out to have terrorist links will be punishable by seven years imprisonment. It will also be illegal to recruit members for any terrorist group.
[Eugene Bingham, "Tamils fear being swept up in anti-terrorist net", Weekend Herald, December 1, 2001, p A3]
30 November 2001 Eleven families who are part of the group from the Tampa are due for resettlement in Auckland early next month and the Refugee and Migrant Service says that beds and other furniture are urgently needed. The Government gives a re-establishment grant of $1,200 to set up each house but the Refugee and Migrant Service also needs donations.
[Nicola Taylor, "Refugees are desperate for furniture", Central Leader, Friday, November 30, 2001, p 6]
30 November 2001 Seventeen of 131 asylum-seekers from the Tampa have been granted refugee status. Residence has been approved for three couples and eleven children, ranging in age from one to thirteen.
["Freedom for boatpeople", NZ Herald, Friday, November 30, 2001, p A5]
27 November 2001 A third escaper from the Villawood Detention Centre in Australia has arrived in New Zealand and sought refugee status. The man, aged in his early twenties, arrived in Auckland on a flight from Melbourne last Friday and claims to be from Somalia. A spokesperson for the Immigration Service is reported as saying that the man's claim for refugee status in Australia had been declined. He will be detained in New Zealand while his status is determined.
["Refugee crosses Tasman", NZ Herald, Tuesday, November 27, 2001, p A5]
26 November 2001 Pursuant to the United Nations Act 1946 Cabinet has approved the Sanctions (Terrorism Suppression and Afghanistan) Regulations 2001. The new regulations are intended to meet New Zealand's commitment to implement the United Nations anti-terrorism measures outlined in Resolution 1373 and are an interim measure pending the passing of the Terrorism (Bombings and Financing) Bill expected to be enacted early next year. The new regulations will expire at that time or no later than 30 June 2002. The new regulations prohibit the provision of financial and other related services to entities designated as terrorists by the United Nations, create a duty to report to the police suspicions that property belongs to such an entity, create several new criminal offences, prohibit collecting funds for use by specified entities, prevent recruitment to organisations to which the regulations apply and prohibit participation in any such specified entity. New Zealand is due to report by 27 December 2001 to the UN Security Council's Counter Terrorism Committee on how it is implementing Resolution 1373.
[Hon Phil Goff, "NZ passes new anti-terrorism measures", Media Statement, Monday, 26 November 2001]
26 November 2001 The closing date for input on a new discussion paper on a system of enforceable standards for immigration consultants is 14 December 2001. The discussion paper may be obtained from the Policy, Research and Development Group, New Zealand Immigration Service, Department of Labour, PO Box 3705, Wellington.
26 November 2001 It is reported that in September 2001 Australia approached Tuvalu with a request that it process asylum-seekers picked up en-route to Australia.
[Daniel Williams, "Neighbors, but not best friends", Time, November 26, 2001, p 10]
24 November 2001 Australia has abandoned its request to Fiji to become a refugee processing centre. Fijians increasingly oppose the plan, partly because of the large number of asylum-seekers and fears they might stay. It is reported that Australia is still waiting for Papua New Guinea to decide whether it would accept more asylum-seekers and Australia will now turn to Palau and Kiribati to take asylum-seekers.
["Fiji asylum plans dropped", Weekend Herald, November 24, 2001, p B11]
24 November 2001 The Thai businessman alleged to be behind a fraudulent scheme to get Thai workers refugee status in New Zealand is wanted by Interpol for other alleged international scams. It is alleged that the man came to New Zealand in 1999 after authorities in Thailand issued two arrest warrants over his alleged defrauding of more than 150 Thai fishermen out of thousands of dollars by promising them jobs that never eventuated. The "temple" set up by the man in New Lynn was served by two monks who were allegedly issued travel documents to worship in Europe but came to New Zealand instead. Authorities in Thailand have since acted to cancel the authority of the men to be monks and their passports have been revoked. A precedent decision by the Refugee Status Appeals Authority has criticised the "temple" and the immigration company for abusing New Zealand immigration laws and has stated that there is no credible evidence to support any of the claims to refugee status.
[Eugene Bingham & John Andrews, "Thai scam latest in long trail", Weekend Herald, November 24, 2001, p A5]
24 November 2001 It is reported that the 1,700 people who claimed refugee status last year will cost the Government more than $50 million. Only about one in five will be recognised as a genuine refugee, leaving the taxpayer to bear the cost of removing the others. Commenting on statistics which show that only about twenty percent of the 1,700 people were likely to be genuine, the Minister of Immigration is reported as promising to speed up the processing system as this will help genuine refugees and limit the cost of dealing with the rest. It is said that the number of refugee claimants arriving last year was up more than ten percent on 1999. They came from seventy-nine countries. The New Zealand Immigration Service finally determined 1,635 applications last year and rejected more than 1,300. The Immigration Service estimates that each refugee claimant costs about $30,000, including welfare assistance. The bill does not include health or education. New Zealand also accepts 750 people annually as part of a refugee quota through the UNHCR. The cost of these quota refugees last year was about $16 million, or $21,000 each. During the year to June 30, 2001, several countries stood out as the source of refugee claimants. Thailand contributed 460, Sri Lanka 121, Iran 138 and the Czech Republic 123. The Minister of Immigration says that the Government had taken steps to clamp down on abuse, including cancelling visa-free status for Czech and Thai visitors. The Government had also halved the backlog of applications and cut the processing time. At present, it took about two years to deal with an application. The Minister wants this reduced to nine months. During the worst of the backlog it took up to three years before an immigration officer even interviewed an applicant. In the Manukau District Court on Friday 23 November 2001 a Sri Lankan was convicted on three counts of assisting people into New Zealand without visas. He was fined $2,100. The Court heard that he supplied Sri Lankans with false documents for flights to New Zealand and escorted them to Auckland where they declared themselves refugees. In two of the three cases refugee status was granted. The third man is waiting for his application to be heard. The Minister of Immigration is reported as saying that she wants to make people-smuggling illegal under the Crimes Act 1961, with longer prison sentences than the three months provided under the Immigration Act 1987. The president of the Refugee Council of New Zealand is reported as saying that there should be an international effort to stamp out people-smuggling. He welcomed the Government's initiatives to speed up the application process.
[Eugene Bingham, "Refugee frauds cost us millions", Weekend Herald, November 24, 2001, front page]
22 November 2001 Thai police have issued arrest warrants for two Thai monks and a Thai businessman linked to a scheme to get New Zealand residence for up to 300 Thai nationals. The Thai Foreign Ministry has also revoked the passports of the monks. The chairman of the Thai Senate foreign affairs committee is reported as saying that the businessman concerned was about to send 200 more Thais to New Zealand, but cancelled his plan at the last minute after his activities were publicised.
[NZPA, "Thai police seek migrant monks", NZ Herald, Thursday, November 22, 2001, p A3]
22 November 2001 The Minister of Immigration, Lianne Dalziel has declined a request that 39 Burmese families, comprising 72 adults and 53 children, living in a Thai border camp be allowed entry to New Zealand. Friends and family in New Zealand have claimed that the Burmese are "in danger of their lives". The Minister is reported as saying that when deciding on the makeup of the resettlement refugee quota she must rely on recommendations of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. The newspaper report notes that New Zealand accepted 207 Burmese resettlement refugees this year.
[Tim Watkin, "Govt ears deaf to Burmese pleas", NZ Herald, Thursday, November 22, 2001, p A5]
22 November 2001 A new page has been added to the New Zealand Refugee Law Website. The Refugee Lawyers Page provides practical information and topical comment relevant to current issues and problems faced by lawyers representing refugee claimants. The first two items posted on this page relate to the role of the lawyer in presenting refugee claims and to the intervention rule as it affects barristers representing refugee claimants. The first document (prepared by the Refugee Council of New Zealand) is a guide for detained refugee claimants as to what their legal representative should be doing for them. The second documents contains the text of the amended Rule 11.04 of the Rules of Professional Conduct for Barristers and Solicitors (6th ed 2000). The amendment adds a new paragraph which now permits barristers to act without instructions from a solicitor where they (the barristers) are acting in refugee status matters pursuant to the Refugee Convention. The amendment takes effect on 1 December 2001, being the first day of the month following the publication date of the relevant LawTalk issue.
22 November 2001 An order has been made in the District Court, Auckland permitting the extradition from New Zealand to Australia of a man wanted by Australian authorities for fourteen offences which include escaping from a refugee detention centre and making a false statement to obtain an Australian passport.
["Con man eligible for extradition", NZ Herald, Thursday, November 22, 2001, p A4]
21 November 2001 Australian police have applied to extradite from New Zealand a man currently serving a sentence of three and half years imprisonment on twenty-four counts relating to credit card scams. He is wanted by the Australian authorities on fourteen charges alleging offences committed between 1995 and 1998. The charges include making false written statements and declarations, dishonestly obtaining money, escaping a detention centre and making a false statement to obtain an Australian passport. The man had unsuccessfully applied for refugee status in Australia, the decline decision being delivered on 30 September 1996. He allegedly escaped from detention on or about the same day. After being arrested on criminal charges he absconded on bail and after obtaining an Australian passport came to New Zealand. It is reported that the man has told the Auckland District Court that he will not oppose the extradition, although he does not accept the allegations. The decision on the extradition application is expected tomorrow.
["Aussies seek extradition of con man", NZ Herald, Wednesday, November 21, 2001, p A4]
20 November 2001 The vice-chairman of the Thai House Committee on Foreign Affairs has called on New Zealand to take decisive action against those behind the alleged scam involving nearly 300 Thai nationals seeking refugee status in New Zealand on the grounds of religious persecution. It is reported that the Thai Religious Affairs Department, which oversees the monkhood and the Foreign Affairs Ministry may take disciplinary steps against the New Lynn temple and revoke the monks' passports. The monks are accused of helping to set up an "asylum-seeker processing company" in New Zealand. It is alleged that the company is controlled by the New Zealand Thammagay Buddhist Trust which is said to offer asylum-seekers work and then claim a fee of 100,000 baht (NZ$5,400). Thai officials reportedly estimate that up to $1 million has been paid to the operation by those hoping to get refugee status.
[NZPA, "Thailand urges tough stance on monk scam", NZ Herald, Tuesday, November 20, 2001, p A5]
20 November 2001 A former commander in the mujahideen in Afghanistan has been denied refugee status in New Zealand by the Refugee Status Branch because of alleged crimes against humanity. This decision was upheld by the Refugee Status Appeals Authority. The man, whose name has been suppressed, has applied to the High Court for a judicial review of the decision. In a brief hearing at the High Court, Auckland before Randerson J the government gave an undertaking that the man would not be removed from New Zealand before his case was heard early next year.
[Tony Stickley, "Afghan refugee accused of war crimes", NZ Herald, Tuesday, November 20, 2001, front page]
19 November 2001 The Thai businessman who tried to get nearly 300 Thai nationals residence in New Zealand on the grounds of religious persecution has reportedly given up and will instead try to get into Canada. He is reported as saying that he will apply today to Canadian authorities to have the 285 Thais accepted into Canada. However, a Canadian immigration official in Sydney, the nearest place where immigration applications for Canada can be processed, is reported as saying that it is unlikely anyone who has been refused asylum in New Zealand would meet Canadian criteria. The businessman is reported as saying that it was his belief that he and the other Thais were entitled to stay in New Zealand until the Canadian applications were heard and if the New Zealand immigration Service tried to make them leave they would go to the High Court.
[Paul Yandall, "Migrant scam boss targets Canada", NZ Herald, Monday, November 19, 2001, p A3]
17 November 2001 It is reported that New Zealand and Thai authorities have been investigating the validity of 285 refugee applications lodged in New Zealand by Thai nationals and of the organisation behind the scheme. It is alleged that the main figures in the suspected scam are two monks from Thailand, a Bangkok businessman and a New Zealand fisherman. The latter has helped the asylum-seekers obtain drivers licences issued by a "Maori Government of Aotearoa Transport Office". Thai officials believe the refugee applicants have been fleeced of about $1 million through the operation and accuse the organisers of setting the applicants up in low-skilled jobs and skimming off some of their wages. The scheme centres around three properties in a New Lynn street. One of the houses has been turned into a temple with Buddhist statues in the lounge. Two donation boxes and an EFTPOS machine are also in the room. The first secretary of the Royal Thai Embassy is reported as saying that the temple is not a recognised religious site and that the Department of Religion in Bangkok was investigating. The two monks did not have permission to practise outside Thailand. It is alleged that many of the applicants are overstayers who have been in New Zealand for up to five years and have sought refugee status with the help of an immigration consultancy. It is alleged that some of the refugee claimants are receiving unemployment benefits, but most work in jobs such as fruit-picking, labouring and dish-washing. The chief operating officer of the New Zealand Immigration Service is reported as saying that the Refugee Status Appeals Authority had declined twelve applications from temple members and that as one of the decisions was a precedent, it was likely the other appeals would be dismissed as well. The Immigration Service was now looking at the cases to see what needed to be done in terms of revoking permits or removing individuals if they had already overstayed. The temple group was probably the largest to apply together.
[Eugene Bingham & John Andrews, "Monks in migrant scam", Weekend Herald, Saturday, November 17, 2001, front page]
14 November 2001 In opening the Hamilton Multicultural Services Centre, the Minister of Immigration, Hon Lianne Dalziel has paid tribute to staff and workers associated with the Refugee and Migrant Service, the Interpreting Service and the Home Tutors Scheme. The Minister stated that Hamilton's strength in support services for new migrant and refugee communities should be mirrored across all regions.
[Hon Lianne Dalziel, "Minister opens multicultural centre", Media Statement, Wednesday, 14 November 2001]
12 November 2001 The British government is proposing legislation that will allow terrorist suspects to be detained without trial where the foreign national poses a threat to Britain's national security and there is no immediate prospect of that individual being returned to his or her country of origin. Parliamentary approval will be required in order to claim a derogation from Article 5 of the European Convention on Human Rights 1950 which guarantees the right to liberty and prohibits detention without trial. Under Article 15 governments are allowed to derogate from Article 5 in times of war or other public emergency. The proposed definition would cover refugee claimants suspected of terrorist involvement who cannot be returned to their homeland because they have a well-founded fear that their lives would be in danger.
[Patrick Wintour, "Blunkett opts out of rights law", Guardian Weekly, November 15, 2001, p 9; AFP, "Jail without trial sought", NZ Herald, Monday, November 12, 2001, p B3]
8 November 2001 Indonesian police have arrested an Egyptian suspected of organising the boat which sank last month killing more than 350 illegal migrants. Last month two Indonesian police officers were arrested for protecting people smugglers.
[Reuters, AP, AAP, "Police arrest mastermind behind death boat", NZ Herald, Thursday, November 8, 2001, p B3]
8 November 2001 The fourth Roundtable to be held as part of the UNHCR Global Consultations starts today in Geneva. The topics are Illegal Entry (Article 31 of the Refugee Convention) and Family Unity (Final Act of the 1951 UN Conference). The background papers have been commissioned from Guy Goodwin-Gill, Professor of International Law, University of Oxford (Illegal Entry) and Kathleen Newland, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace; Jens Vedsted-Hansen, Professor of Law, Aarhus University (Family Unity).
[In the lead-up to the 50th anniversary of the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees, useful information on UNHCR's Global Consultations on International Protection is to be found at http://www.unhcr.ch/issues/asylum/globalconsult/main.htm>. The papers presented at the Expert Roundtables, summary of conclusions and list of participants are to be found at the same web page.]
4 November 2001 The foreign container ship on which a group of ten men allegedly entered New Zealand as stowaways will be boarded and investigated when it arrives in New Zealand early next week. Meanwhile, the Refugee Status Branch of the New Zealand Immigration Service is considering the refugee application of an African man who also claims to have arrived as a stowaway, though it is reported that the Immigration Service does not believe his means of entry.
[Kim Purdy, "Suspect ship to be boarded", Sunday Star-Times, November 4, 2001, p A3]
4 November 2001 The Minister of Immigration, Hon Lianne Dalziel, has announced that waiting times for processing refugee status claims have fallen dramatically from two to three years in 1999 to an average of just two months. Waiting times have also been reduced for people who lodge claims on arrival at the airport. In 1999 the wait was between six to twelve months, in the year 2000 that average was down to six months and in 2001, the average is three months. The Minister has stated that the reason for imposing quick turnaround times is to minimise the pressure on the system by those seeking to abuse the system in order to gain work permits, which was a common occurrence under the previous government. It also provides certainty for genuine claimants so that they can get on with their lives. In 1999, when she first became Minister, the backlog of refugee claimants waiting to be interviewed by the Refugee Status Branch was almost 4,000.
[Hon Lianne Dalziel, "Shorter wait for refugee interviews", Media Statement, Sunday 4 November 2001]
2 November 2001 Mr Michel Gabaudan, the new UNHCR Regional Representative for Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea and the South Pacific visited Auckland today and met with representatives of non-governmental organisations.
1 November 2001 The Home Secretary, David Plunkett has proposed that new immigrants take citizenship classes to give them an understanding of British democracy and culture, as well as being required to learn English, before they become British citizens. Such classes and language lessons will be taken by the 60,000 people who apply to become full British citizens each year in order to promote a positive induction for those who settle in Britain. He is reported as believing that the government needs to promote common citizenship between members of different communities because parts of British society have become effectively segregated, sometimes on ethnic lines.
[Alan Travis, "Compulsory citizenship classes for immigrants", Guardian Weekly, November 1, 2001, p 9]
1 November 2001 The Minister of Immigration has appointed Ema Aitken as Chairperson of the Refugee Status Appeals Authority. The appointment is effective from 1 November 2001.
31 October 2001 Fiji is expected to agree to take one thousand asylum-seekers for Australia for a fee of $30 million. Palau is also under pressure to provide facilities and Kiribati has offered a barren atoll to hold them.
[AFP, "Fiji likely to take 1000 asylum seekers", NZ Herald, Wednesday, October 31, 2001, p B3]
30 October 2001 The Port of Napier will check video footage of its berths to see if it sheds any light on claims that up to a dozen stowaways arrived in New Zealand on a container ship.
[Angela Gregory, "Port to examine video for clues to refugees", NZ Herald, Tuesday, October 30, 2001, p A6]
29 October 2001 Commenting on the claim that a group of ten asylum-seekers arrived undetected in New Zealand last month on a container ship, the Minister of Immigration, Lianne Dalziel, is reported as saying that she had no evidence that there had been an increase in people breaching border security. She said asylum-seekers often made up stories and the latest allegations raised too many unanswered questions, like the whereabouts of the rest of the group. There was no evidence to indicate the claims were true. If they were, she would want the shipping company involved approached as it would be a major concern if a shipping company had involved itself with people smuggling. Commenting on 13 African stowaways who attempted to enter New Zealand illegally a few years ago, she said that they were discovered by the crew of the vessel who forewarned the authorities. She understood most, if not all, of the Africans had since been deported.
[Angela Gregory, "Puzzling tale by stowaways", NZ Herald, Monday, October 29, 2001, p A6]
28 October 2001 It has been reported that a group of ten men (five Indians and five from the Middle East) arrived in New Zealand last month on a container ship and were not detected. It is claimed that the group boarded a fishing boat in Indonesia and were transferred to the New Zealand-bound container ship at sea. Three of the men are seeking refugee status. The chief operating officer of the New Zealand Immigration Service is reported as saying that staff were trying to identify who the men were and how they entered New Zealand. He says that it was not uncommon for people seeking refugee status to lie about their entry. Some who have had refugee claims denied before have changed their names and reapplied, or arrived on an aircraft under a different name. It is further reported that in May 2001 the government released the Maritime Patrol Review which found that New Zealand is ill-equipped to stop illegal fishing, an increasing threat from boatpeople or illegal immigrants, drug trafficking and terrorism.
In a related report it is noted that in its latest financial year, the Immigration Service received 1703 claims for refugee status but only 311 were approved. By comparison, in 1992-1993, 541 applications were received and 95 approved. The numbers who had tried to enter by ship are not broken down, but it is far fewer than those arriving on flights. The report also refers to a 1995 incident in which 13 young African men jumped ship near Nelson after stowing away on a Turkish bulk log carrier in South Africa two months earlier. The men were arrested and were expected to be deported. But they sought asylum. One year on, Nelson MP Nick Smith was reported as saying that the men had taken New Zealand authorities for a ride. Since their arrival, four of the men faced serious criminal charges ranging from assault to stalking. Mr Smith claimed that the group had originally rented a home in Christchurch but were evicted after they demolished the interior and furnishings. He claimed that within three years, they had received $26,000 in legal aid and $262,000 in welfare. They had cost the Immigration Service $53,000, Police $31,000 and the prison service $37,000. It is understood some of the men were subsequently deported. An Auckland barrister who has represented refugee claimants for about ten years is reported as saying that he believes thousands of illegal immigrants have entered New Zealand's coastline, detected and undetected, in the past one hundred years. Although many arrive at airports, maritime entry was now likely to increase in light of Australia's tightening borders.
[Kim Purdy, "Refugees sneak into NZ port", Sunday Star-Times, October 28, 2001, front page; Kim Purdy, "Stowaways come ashore", Sunday Star-Times, October 28, 2001, p A8]
26 October 2001 A claim has been made that the boatpeople who drowned off the coast of Indonesia had been forced on to the vessel by Indonesian police armed with pistols and automatic weapons notwithstanding that several passengers did not want to board after seeing the poor condition of the boat. A survivor is reported as saying that the police were working together with three armed people-smugglers, an Egyptian and two Iraqis. The Indonesian chief of police has denied the allegations but senior United Nations officials in Indonesia have called on the government to investigate.
[AP, AFP, "Refugees 'forced' to board boat", NZ Herald, Friday, October 26, 2001, p B3]
26 October 2001 Immigration officials have found 22 Thai nationals working illegally in New Zealand, including five in Auckland. Seven were found in Hastings, three in Tauranga and seven in the Bay of Plenty. The five in Auckland had been employed in the painting and plastering industries and the rest in horticulture. The fourteen men and eight women range in age from their early twenties to early forties. Seventeen of the group had been refused refugee status. All are in custody and will be returned to Thailand over the next three days as travel documents and flights are arranged.
["Illegal Thais to be flown home", NZ Herald, Friday, October 26, 2001, p A10]
26 October 2001 Five Iraqis charged with rioting at the Whangaparaoa refugee camp have avoided conviction when the charges were withdrawn. The men have completed a police diversion scheme.
["Iraqi rioters escape conviction", NZ Herald, Friday, October 26, 2001, p A4]
25 October 2001 The English Court of Appeal has ruled that it has been legal for the Home Secretary to detain for up to ten days more than 8,000 asylum-seekers at Oakington detention centre in Cambridgeshire since it opened in March 2000 while their "fast-track" claims were decided. The Judges said that such a short period of detention was justified, especially when the government was faced with 7,000 new asylum applications each month, even though detention in such circumstances might go beyond what the European Court of Human Rights might require. They said that no responsible government can simply shrug its shoulders and do nothing. A short period of detention is not an unreasonable price to pay in order to ensure the speedy resolution of the claims of a substantial proportion of this influx. In the circumstances such detention can properly be described as a measure of last resort. However the Court of Appeal stressed that the use of such detention for "a significant length of time" would be objectionable to "most right-thinking people".
[Alan Travis, "Asylum detentions legal", Guardian Weekly, October 25, 2001, p 8]
25 October 2001 There have been disturbances at the detention camp at the Papua New Guinea island of Manus. The mainly Iraqi asylum-seekers have broken camp equipment and threatened violence. Police and about thirty security guards brought the situation under control. The Indonesian foreign minister is reported as saying that Indonesia will host talks to try to stem the flow of Middle-Eastern migrants through the region after the drowning of about 350 Australia-bound asylum-seekers in the Java Sea.
[AAP, AFP, "Anger erupts at processing camp for refugees in PNG", NZ Herald, Thursday, October 25, 2001, p B2]
24 October 2001 More than 350 mostly Iraqi asylum-seekers drowned after their vessel capsized and broke up off Indonesia. The International Organisation for Migration is reported as saying that it had expected such a disaster because of "the way the people-smugglers pack these boats".
["Boy loses family as refugee boat sinks", NZ Herald, Wednesday, October 24, 2001, front page]
23 October 2001 In its second annual report under Schedule 3C of the Immigration Act 1987, the Refugee Status Appeals Authority has reported that in the year to 30 June 2001 it received 640 appeals (11% above the 575 figure in 1999/2000). The Authority scheduled 816 hearings, either by way of interview or on the papers. The Authority was able to complete decisions in 642 appeals, as opposed to 517 in the previous year (a 24% increase). Since the Authority was established in 1991, it has finalised 5,201 decisions. Of these, 791 have been granted refugee status, with the balance being declined or withdrawn appeals. In the year to 30 June 2001, 52 appeals were allowed and 590 declined.
[Refugee Status Appeals Authority Annual Report to 30 June 2001]
19 October 2001 The English Court of Appeal has upheld the lawfulness of the policy of the Secretary of State providing for short term detention of asylum-seekers whose claims can be decided quickly. The Court ruled that as a matter of domestic law, there could be no doubt that the claimants' detention fell within the express statutory powers of immigration officers contained in the Immigration Act 1971 (UK) and it was impossible to condemn as irrational the policy of subjecting to a short period of detention, designed to ensure that the regime operated without dislocation, those asylum-seekers whose applications appeared susceptible to rapid resolution. A short period of detention, in conditions suitable for asylum-seekers as opposed, for example, to convicted prisoners, was not an unreasonable price to pay in order to ensure the speedy resolution of the claims of a substantial proportion of the influx of asylum-seekers. The Court also ruled that the detentions did not infringe Article 5(1) of the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, 1950.
[R (on the application of Saadi) v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2001] 4 All ER 961 (CA)]
19 October 2001 The Australian Minister of Immigration, Philip Ruddock, has confirmed that Fiji has been approached to process asylum-seekers as part of its "Pacific solution" to boatpeople landing on Australia's north-west coast. It is also reported that Australia has approached Palau and Kiribati. In the meantime about 200 mainly Iraqi boatpeople now on Australia's Christmas Island will be flown to Papua New Guinea next week. They are to be taken to Manus Island, some 350 kilometres off the north coast of Papua New Guinea. It was a Second World War air and naval staging point.
[Reuters, "Australia searches for 'Pacific solution'", NZ Herald, Friday, October 19, 2001, p A6]
16 October 2001 Now available on the Reference page of this website are The Michigan Guidelines on Nexus to a Convention Ground. These Guidelines represent the conclusions of the second Colloquium on Challenges in International Refugee Law convened at the University of Michigan Law School 23-25 March 2001. The subject of the Colloquium was: "Fear of being persecuted 'for reasons of' civil or political status: what connection is required?"
[Prof James C Hathaway, The Michigan Guidelines on Nexus to a Convention Ground 23 Mich. J. Int'l L. ____ (2001)]
15 October 2001 The Australian Government says that its policy of refusing entry to asylum-seekers was deterring hundreds of boatpeople from attempting the voyage to Australia from Indonesia. In late August 2001 the Defence Minister said there had been some 5,000 waiting to depart Indonesia on board boats operated by people smuggling gangs. That figure had now dropped to around 1,200. It is also reported that the Immigration Department is to expel some refugee impostors who claimed to be illiterate Afghan farmers but were subsequently able to pass written driving tests in English. The Department has launched a pilot investigation of a small number of cases. The findings of that investigation could have significant implications for the large number of asylum-seekers now being processed on Nauru and Papua New Guinea. The original inquiry was prompted by members of the Australian Afghan community in Melbourne who concluded that many of those granted protection visas were really from Pakistan and not Afghanistan.
[AP, AAP, "Hardline policy 'deterring' refugees from making trip", NZ Herald, Monday, October 15, 2001, p B3]
11 October 2001 Papua New Guinea has agreed in principle to accept and process the mainly Iraqi 187 boatpeople rescued by the Australian Navy near Christmas Island. The Prime Minister of Australia, John Howard, said a processing centre would be built at Australia's expense and run by the International Organisation for Migration with help from Australia. The centre would help Australia in fighting people-smuggling and illegal migration in the Asia-Pacific region and would be a visible deterrent to people-smugglers.
[AAP, AP, "PNG agrees to accept asylum seekers", NZ Herald, Thursday, October 11, 2001, p B1]
9 October 2001 Four of the resettlement refugees charged with rioting at a Whangaparaoa camp north of Auckland faced new charges when they appeared in the North Shore District Court yesterday. The new charges include possession of offensive weapons and assault.
["New charges for four refugees", NZ Herald, Tuesday, October 9, 2001, p A6]
7 October 2001 A study of interpreters working for the Refugee Status Appeals Authority has been published by Dr Sabine Fenton, Director of Translation Studies, Centre for Translation Studies, University of Auckland. The paper, Expressing a Well-Founded Fear: Interpreting in Convention Refugee Hearings is to be found on the Reference Page of this website.
[Dr Sabine Fenton, "Expressing a Well-Founded Fear: Interpreting in Convention Refugee Hearings" (2001)]
6 October 2001 The refugee resettlement agency, the Refugee and Migrant Service, is facing staff cuts because of a cash crisis. The Service is between $200,000 and $300,000 short of the $1.2 million it needs to run its services. The Director, Peter Cotton, is reported as saying that it will need to cut at least three or four people and may have to close one of its six branches unless it can raise the money. The Minister of Immigration has advised the Service that no more money is available from the New Zealand Immigration Service, which has already lifted its grant to the Refugee and Migrant Service this year from $323,000 to $623,000. Ms Dalziel said the service's problems stemmed from its budget being fixed at $323,000 for a decade until this year, and she could not solve its problems in one year. The resettlement agency has eighteen "permanent" employees with average salaries of between $28,000 and $29,000. It has offices at the Mangere Refugee Centre, Mt Eden, Hamilton, Wellington, Lower Hutt and Christchurch providing training and support for volunteers who help refugees get into English classes, find jobs and adjust to life in New Zealand. The Minister of Immigration is also reported as saying that she is willing to consider asking the United Nations to give priority for resettlement in New Zealand those refugees from ethnic groups which already have communities in New Zealand and to families rather than single men. Mr Cotton is reported as saying that he has been pushing for these changes for years because they would reduce the need for new interpreters and make it easier to find volunteers who are predominantly female.
[Simon Collins, "Staff cuts loom for refugee service", Weekend Herald, October 6, 2001, p A16]
6 October 2001 The District Court at Auckland has released on bail two men who in June 2002 will stand trial on fraud charges relating to their applications for refugee status in New Zealand. The men had earlier been held in custody for one week but the police later decided that their case did not involve a threat to national security. It is reported that the police are still making investigations overseas. In ordering that the names of the men be suppressed the District Court Judge said that he accepted concerns that the lives of the men and their families overseas could be endangered if their identities became public.
[Josie Clarke & Eugene Bingham, "Police confess: we got it all wrong", Weekend Herald, October 6, 2001, p A2]
5 October 2001 A National Business Review-Compaq poll has found that more than a third of New Zealanders think the country accepts too many refugees. Overall, 37% of people said the 750 annual refugee quota was too high, compared with 48% who said it was about right. Ten percent of people said the quota was too long and 5% were unsure. Rural New Zealanders were most opposed to the refugee quota with 43% saying it was too high. Blue-collar workers (43%), students (45%), the self-employed (43%) and the unemployed (50%) were represented among those who thought the 750 people a year figure amounted to accepting too many refugees. Fifty-five percent of the Maori or part-Maori sample thought the quota was too high. The Maori sample is too small to be taken as statistically sound but is said to be able to be considered as broadly representative of the Maori view. The poll was taken between September 13 and 16 in the days following the terrorist attacks on New York and Washington but before the full impact of the attacks had been assessed.
[Deborah Hill Cone, "More than one-third of Kiwis think refugee intake too high", National Business Review, October 5, 2001, p 16]
4 October 2001 The Council of the New Zealand Law Society has amended Rule 11.04 of the Rules of Professional Conduct (6th ed 2000) which deals with situations in which a barrister sole may act or advise without instructions from a solicitor. The amendment adds a new paragraph which now permits barristers to act without instructions from a solicitor where they (the barristers) are acting in refugee status matters pursuant to the Refugee Convention. The amendment takes effect on 1 December 2001, being the first day of the month following the publication date of the LawTalk issue.
["Rule change for barristers", LawTalk 573 (12 November 2001) p 5]
4 October 2001 The Australian Minister of Immigration, Philip Ruddock, is reported as saying that the HMAS Manoora hoped to unload the remaining 200 asylum-seekers as soon as possible and the Government would take whatever reasonable steps were needed to get them off the vessel. He also rejected claims by Australia's Afghan community that the Australian Government was not doing enough to help those in camps bordering Afghanistan awaiting resettlement. He said resettling three million people of Afghan origin was not realistic either for Australia or the international community. He said that what Australia was seeking to do was to ensure that those with an urgent need for a resettlement place get them and that people smuggling reduced the number of places Australia could offer. He said the Government had boosted funding to the UNHCR by AUD$14 million to help speed refugee processing and provide humanitarian relief. It is reported that the Federal government intends to recover costs from the Victorian Council for Civil Liberties and the lawyer who represented the asylum-seekers rescued by the Tampa and refused entry to Australia. The Attorney-General is reported as saying that it was fair and appropriate that the people who took the Government to court should have to pay at least part of the thousands of dollars in costs. The lawyer, Eric Vadarlis, is reporting as saying that his costs could blow out to AUD$500,000 and were likely to send him broke.
[AAP & AFP, "More boatpeople ashore", NZ Herald, Thursday, October 4, 2001, p B3]
4 October 2001 After six days in Mt Eden Remand Prison, two teenage Afghan asylum-seekers from the Tampa have been released and taken back to the Mangere Refugee Resettlement Centre. A spokesman for the Immigration Service is reported as saying that the two youths were detained to allow further security checks after their original interviews at Auckland Airport raised concerns. However, following further interviews and after consideration of information provided by other Government agencies, it was decided the youths could rejoin the other Tampa asylum-seekers at Mangere. The lawyer representing the youths is reported as saying that the misunderstanding had arisen because of difficulties with an interpreter and that the lack of competent Afghan interpreters was a problem in dealing with the asylum-seekers. Different languages, accents and dialects used in Afghanistan caused confusion.
[Angela Gregory, "Afghan youths freed from jail", NZ Herald, Thursday, October 4, 2001, p A4]
3 October 2001 It is reported that the ten Iranian and Iraqi resettlement refugees charged with rioting at their camp north of Auckland have settled their differences. The Immigration Service says that the men were embarrassed and apologetic after they appeared in the North Shore District Court on Monday. The Service has no plans to keep Iranians and Iraqis apart at the camp. The NZIS Manager of Refugee Services, Marie Sullivan, is reported as saying that the men had reconciled their differences.
[NZPA, "Refugees settle dispute after court hearing", The Dominion, Wednesday, October 3, 2001, p 3]
3 October 2001 English language courses for refugees and other migrants have been given nearly $1 million in extra funding. The Social Development Ministry has received more than $750,000 to run extra English for speakers of other languages courses for migrants and $200,000 for research and evaluation of the courses. The Minister of Immigration, Lianne Dalziel, who is responsible for training in English as a second language is reported as saying that she had asked for work to be done on a strategy for English language training for adults. She said that refugees accepted as part of New Zealand's quota had four weeks of English language training when they arrived and were immediately eligible for English courses. Families who followed them through the family reunification programme were not. Asylum-seekers had to get refugee status before they had an automatic right to English language training and in some cases that could take years. Other migrants, such as those accepted under Immigration Service skills criteria were not eligible for the courses. The strategy will look at who should be eligible and how courses should be offered and paid for in the future. The Minister said that there had been a build-up of problems arising out of the multiplicity of funding arrangements and she was not satisfied by piecemeal changes and wished to address the question of English language training from a strategic framework position. Funding opportunities had been unchanged at $96 million during the past three years.
[Christine Langdon, "Migrant English courses get $1m boost", The Dominion, Wednesday, October 3, 2001, p 3]
3 October 2001 Nauru has suspended the disembarkation of asylum-seekers from the HMAS Manoora after a group of 217 Middle Eastern boat people refused to leave the vessel. Nauru says that it will only accept people who have disembarked voluntarily. However, the Australian Defence Minister, Peter Reith, is reported as saying that the asylum-seekers will be forcibly removed. In relation to a second group of 262 asylum-seekers presently being taken to Nauru by a second Australian warship, the UNHCR has said that it will not be involved in the processing of their refugee claims. The UNHCR says the asylum-seekers should be dealt with in Australia, not in Nauru and that the agreement to process the Manoora people did not extend to further boatloads. It is understood that officials of the Australian Immigration Department are on their way to Nauru to do their own processing under UNHCR guidelines.
[AFP & AAP, "Nauru and UN having second thoughts", NZ Herald, Wednesday, October 3, 2001, p B3]
3 October 2001 Two young men from the second group of Tampa boat people could be moved from the Mt Eden Remand Prison to the Mangere Refugee Resettlement Centre today after being held for five days for security reasons. The Minister of Immigration, Lianne Dalziel is reported as saying that the Service had been inquiring into the case and a decision on the future of the pair was expected early today. She is also reported as saying that the ten Iranians and Iraqis involved in a fight at the Whangaporaoa camp had apologised and promised to behave themselves. One of the families involved had been moved to the Mangere Refugee Resettlement Centre to avoid more conflict but the Minister was not aware of any increase in security at the Whangaporaoa camp. She is also reported as saying that a conviction for the ten involved would not affect their refugee status. She has rejected a call by the Leader of New Zealand First, Winston Peters, for them to be deported. Refugee workers have denounced Mr Peters' comments as "redneck" and ignorant. The UNHCR representative in New Zealand is reported as saying that deporting refugees would be sending them back to potentially certain death and that politicians should not try to score points on the backs of refugees who have suffered enough. The refugees would go through the court system like any other New Zealanders. It was regrettable that asylum-seekers and refugees were being painted in a negative light because they are victims and should be received with sympathy and with assistance. The Director of the Refugee and Migrant Service is reported as saying that a spat between refugees did not make them terrorists, but the country needed to look more carefully at the ability of some groups to be settled here. The Minister of Immigration is reported as saying that her decision (against legal advice) to allow Tampa boat people to speak to the media was to counter an Opposition scare-mongering campaign. It is reported that a senior Immigration Service official said last week that it could prejudice the Afghans' claim for refugee status for them to talk to the media, but the Minister of Immigration allowed a television camera into the Mangere Refugee Resettlement Centre. She is reported as saying that the print media had repeatedly ignored her requests to respect the privacy of refugees by running photographs and she decided to let one television crew in so the asylum-seekers could put their side of the story.
[Greg Wycherley & Catherine Masters, "Decision day for jailed pair", NZ Herald, Wednesday, October 3, 2001, p A5]
2 October 2001 The Prime Minister, Helen Clark, has announced that New Zealand will contribute $1 million to the United Nations Consolidated Appeal for Afghanistan. The United Nations Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs expects the number of Afghan citizens requiring emergency assistance to climb from five million to 7.5 million in the coming months.
[Rt Hon Helen Clark, "NZ gives $1 million to humanitarian relief for Afghan people", Media Statement, Tuesday, 2 October, 2001]
2 October 2001 The Prime Minister (who is also the Minister in charge of the Security Intelligence Service) says that a group of men being held in Auckland's maximum security prison are not being detained because of links to overseas terrorists. At a closed session in the Auckland District Court last Friday, a District Court Judge heard the case in secret under a provision related to national security and suppressed details of the number of defendants, their ethnicity and identity, details of the case and any connection being made to specified events. The case will be heard again on Thursday 4 October 2001. A question has been raised as to whether the Minister of Corrections, Matt Robson has breached the suppression order by comments he has reportedly made about the case.
[John Armstrong, "Clark mute on reasons mystery men detained", NZ Herald, Tuesday, October 2, 2001, front page]
2 October 2001 Ten Iraqi and Iranian resettlement refugees have appeared in the North Shore District Court on charges arising from rioting at the military camp at Whangaparaoa. Each has been charged with using violence against an Immigration Service employee working at the camp. They have been remanded on bail until 8 October 2001. A spokesperson for the Refugee and Migrant Service is reported as calling on the government to review the ethnic minorities accepted in each resettlement intake, along with the number of single men accepted. The Minister of Immigration is reported as saying that there had been conflicts among earlier groups of resettlement refugees.
[Catherine Masters & Josie Clarke, "Accused rioters go back to camp", NZ Herald, Tuesday, October 2, 2001, p A5]
2 October 2001 Nauru has refused to accept asylum-seekers from the Australian troop ship Manoora who have refused to leave the vessel. For the past two weeks more than two hundred boatpeople, reportedly Iraqis and Palestinians, have refused to leave the Manoora. But the Australian government has ordered troops to clear the vessel and the men have been escorted to shore by soldiers. A spokesperson for the Australian Minister of Immigration is reported as saying that a small group of asylum-seekers on board the Manoora had been demanding the others remain on the ship in the hope of forcing a backdown by Australia.
[AFP, "Nauru says no to asylum seekers", NZ Herald, Tuesday, October 2, 2001, p B3]
1 October 2001 The two Afghan youths from the Tampa presently detained at Mt Eden prison have not been told why they have been detained and their lawyer is reported as saying that he did not know the security reasons which have led to their detention. The Minister of Immigration is reported as saying that if concerns which arose during interviews on the arrival of the youths at Auckland International Airport were allayed, the men would be moved to the Mangere resettlement centre with the other 139 asylum-seekers.
["Teens in dark over prison shift", NZ Herald, Monday, October 1, 2001, p A5]
1 October 2001 The New Zealand Police say that new immigrants and law abiding citizens have nothing to fear from a team set up to investigate links between Afghan terrorist organisations and New Zealand.
[Naomi Larkin, "Probe no threat to immigrants: police", NZ Herald, Monday, October 1, 2001, p A3]
1 October 2001 Eleven resettlement refugees have been arrested after fighting broke out between Iranians and Iraqis at a temporary refugee camp at the Whangaparaoa Military Camp. Four asylum-seekers were taken to hospital, including a child who suffered burns. It is not known what started the fighting or if weapons were used. The twenty-three Iraqi and forty-three Iranian refugees were moved from the Mangere Refugee Resettlement Centre early in September to make way for the 140 mainly Afghan refugees from the Tampa. A spokesman for the New Zealand Immigration Service is reported as saying that there had been animosity between the groups and community leaders had been called in to try to defuse tension. He did not know what had sparked the fighting. Police had also been called to the Whangaparaoa camp on Saturday, but details were sketchy.
[Gregg Wycherley & Bernard Orsman, "Violence erupts at camp for refugees", NZ Herald, Monday, October 1, 2001, front page]
30 September 2001 The Government is to fast-track anti-terrorism legislation introduced to Parliament before the September 11 terrorist attacks in New York and Washington. The proposed legislation will criminalise financing of international terrorism and strengthen methods of investigating offences and extraditing suspects. The decision to fast-track the legislation follows the unanimous approval by the United Nations Security Council of a resolution demanding that all countries take sweeping measures to crack down on terrorism. The Terrorism (Bombings and Financing) Bill is currently being considered by a select committee which is expected to report on 2 November 2001, but the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Phil Goff is reported as saying that he will ask the committee to report back as soon as possible. Penalties under the Bill include up to life imprisonment for a terrorist bombing, up to fourteen years imprisonment for an individual financing terrorism and a fine of up to $250,000 for organisations financing terrorism. Until now, terrorist-style offences have been covered by the Crimes Act 1961.
The Prime Minister, Helen Clark, is reported as saying that the attacks and expected US-led response may also force New Zealand to review its annual refugee quota of 750 because with some twenty-two million people world-wide on the move, a humanitarian crisis was unfolding. The Prime Minister is also reported as saying that intelligence gathering may be New Zealand's primary contribution to the war on terrorism. The Government spends $40 million a year on intelligence agencies, including the Government Communications Security Bureau and these resources would be re-evaluated given heightened global stability.
[Guyon Espiner, "Terror bill in fast lane", Sunday Star-Times, September 30, 2001, front page]
30 September 2001 Nauru has agreed to process another 262 asylum-seekers intercepted off Australian waters by a navy vessel. This means that almost 800 asylum-seekers originally destined for Australia will be processed by Nauru under a deal reached with the Australian government.
[AAP, "Nauru to process 262 more asylum-seekers", Sunday Star-Times, September 30, 2001, p A11]
30 September 2001 The Afghani asylum-seekers from the Tampa will be tested for conditions such as hepatitis B, anaemia, syphilis, tuberculosis, gut parasites, evidence of physical trauma and torture and will undergo psychological assessments. About $450,000 is spent on immigration health work in New Zealand each year, while $300,000 of that is spent on the medical screening of refugees and asylum-seekers. The Auckland Medical Officer of Health, Dr Lester Calder, is reported as saying that the Afghanis would be HIV tested if they had symptoms. He says historically, Afghani asylum-seekers suffered from a wide range of nutritional, psychological and dental infections, tropical diseases and post-traumatic stress disorder which could derive from cultural and geographical dislocation. Tuberculosis and hepatitis B were the most common diseases. He also says that some health services for refugees and asylum-seekers in New Zealand had been stretched periodically ever since they began arriving post-World War II. He added that the illnesses impose quite a significant burden on the public health system. Refugees and asylum seekers have a high rate of illness requiring on-going treatment and sophisticated services. It is also reported that the average cost of a refugee status claim is about $12,500 per person. That includes health screening, an education component for children and an appeal to the Refugee Status Appeals Authority.
[Kim Purdy, "Taleban jailed teenage asylum-seeker, says Green's MP", Sunday Star-Times, September 30, 2001, p A4]
29 September 2001 Seven new Acts which deal with the control and management of Australia's borders and increased penalties for people-smugglers were assented to on 29 September 2001. The new Acts, which amend the Migration Act 1958, are as follows: Migration Amendment (Excision from Migration Zone) Act 2001 No. 127; Migration Amendment (Excision from Migration Zone) (Consequential Provisions) Act 2001 No. 128; Migration Legislation Amendment (Judicial Review) Act 2001 No. 134; Migration Legislation Amendment Act (No. 1) 2001 No. 129; Migration Legislation Amendment Act (No. 5) 2001 No. 130; Migration Legislation Amendment Act (No. 6) 2001 No. 131; and Border Protection (Validation and Enforcement Powers) Act 2001 No. 126. The main provisions of the new legislation are: Measures to strengthen deterrence of unauthorised arrivals, including a new visa regime and minimum prison terms for people-smugglers (five years for a first conviction and eight years for a second conviction); The excision of certain territories from Australia's migration zone including Christmas Island, Ashmore and Cartier Islands and the Cocos (Keeling) Islands; Unauthorised arrivals to those territories cannot apply for a visa; The possible detention and removal from those territories of unauthorised arrivals; A clear definition in law of the term refugee; A limit to the grounds for judicial review; Prohibition of class actions in migration litigation; The possibility that adverse inferences may be drawn when visa applicants fail to provide supporting information, including documentation. For further background information reference should be made to the Current Issues Brief No. 5, Refugee Law - Recent Legislative Developments published by the Australian Parliamentary Library which may be found at http://www.aph.gov.au/library/pubs.
[Butterworths, Australian Immigration Law, Bulletin No. 192 (October 2001)]
29 September 2001 More than three hundred refugees who have arrived in New Zealand in the past few years are still waiting to get into English language classes because of funding difficulties. The long wait reflects cuts in the government's training opportunities programme (TOP). These grants were cut from $96 million in 1999 to $92 million last year, but lifted to $98 million this year. The programme is targeted mainly at long-term unemployed New Zealanders. In November 2000, only 160 (2%) of the 8,726 TOP trainees gained entry to the programme as refugees. The assistant head of AUT's School of Languages is reported as saying that the scheme was geared to getting people into paid work and does not cater for people who are older and mothers at home with children.
[Simon Collins, "Long wait on dole to learn English", Weekend Herald, September 29, 2001, p A8; Simon Collins, "Tongue-tied in an alien land", Weekend Herald, September 29, 2001, p B5]
29 September 2001 Two young men from the second group of Tampa boatpeople have been taken to Mt Eden for "security reasons". Immigration officials will not elaborate on the reasons for detaining the two youths who arrived at Auckland Airport on the night of Thursday, 27 September 2001. The youths are aged sixteen and seventeen respectively. The Minister of Immigration has confirmed that security concerns emerged during interviews with the two youths. Asked whether, if excluded as refugees, New Zealand would send them back to Afghanistan, the Minister of Immigration is reported as saying that if the Immigration Service could not get documentation in order for them to be removed, they would be held in detention until such time as they could be removed, which could be indefinite. It is also reported that a high number of young men without family or relatives are among the asylum-seekers. They include three fourteen-year-olds and sixteen youths aged seventeen. A spokesman for the Refugee and Migrant Service is reported as saying that this will present special problems in that New Zealand has not until now taken unaccompanied minors as part of its refugee programme.
[Anne Beston, "Teen asylum seekers in prison after interview", Weekend Herald, September 29, 2001, p A8]
29 September 2001 A team of top police officers has been set up to investigate possible links between Afghan terrorist organisations and New Zealand. The Superintendent of Counties Manukau police district is reported as saying that depending on what information the team uncovered, other enforcement agencies might become involved. Those agencies included the New Zealand Immigration Service.
[Naomi Larkin, "Police to probe NZ links to terror", Weekend Herald, September 29, 2001, front page]
28 September 2001 Marie Sullivan, the Immigration Service Manager of Refugee Services is reported as saying that if asylum-seekers from the Tampa did not meet the criteria for refugee status, an attempt would be made to return them to their own country.
[Martin Johnston, "Children wake eagerly to new country", NZ Herald, Friday, September 28, 2001, p A5]
26 September 2001 Seventy asylum-seekers from the Tampa arrived today at Auckland International Airport and were taken to the immigration hostel at Mangere.
[Angela Gregory and Anne Beston, "Nothing to declare except joy", NZ Herald, Thursday, September 27, 2001, front page]
26 September 2001 In an article published in the New Zealand Herald, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Ruud Lubbers asks those in the political arena to remember that they are not just scoring a point against opponents when they play with asylum-seeker statistics and stoke fears of the foreigners in our midst. They are, in fact, indirectly potentially endangering lives all over the world. He asks them to tone down their rhetoric. While immigration and asylum systems are valid subjects for debate, distortion, exaggeration and hyperbole are no way to approach an issue that is not simply about numbers but about saving human lives. Refugees should not become victims yet again.
[Ruud Lubbers, "Asylum-seekers easy meat for the politics of hatred", NZ Herald, Wednesday, September 26, 2001, p A15]
25 September 2001 The Minister of Immigration has stated that New Zealand will not accept any of the boatpeople from the Tampa who are not found to be genuine refugees. She was responding to a report claiming that many of the asylum-seekers are illegal immigrants from Pakistan and not refugees from Afghanistan. The first group of Tampa boatpeople are due to arrive at Auckland International Airport tonight and will be taken to the Refugee Resettlement Centre at Mangere. The second group are due to arrive the following day. The Sydney Morning Herald, citing a UNHCR official, said there was evidence some of the men claiming to have fled Afghanistan were really from Pakistan. Some also had fake documentation. It also reported that one asylum-seeker had said that he had learnt that one hundred of the Tampa boatpeople who had claimed to be from Afghanistan were really born in Pakistan. The Australian Federal Parliament yesterday debated legislation aimed at cracking down on people-smuggling with provisions to excise some overseas territories including Christmas Island, from Australia's migration zone.
[AFP, "No haven in NZ for refugee impostors", NZ Herald, Tuesday, September 25, 2001, p A5]
25 September 2001 The United States congressman leading the inquiry into the terrorist attacks on New York and Washington has identified New Zealand as one of sixty-four countries where terrorist cells with links to Osama bin Laden could be active.
["America warns of NZ terror links", NZ Herald, Tuesday, September 25, 2001, front page]
24 September 2001 A man claiming to be a refugee is being held in Mt Eden Prison after refusing to identify himself at Auckland Airport. In his early twenties, the man arrived from Kuala Lumper but refused to co-operate with the Immigration Service staff and was detained.
["Passenger held", NZ Herald, Monday, September 24, 2001, p A5]
21 September 2001 In a lead article published on the front page of The National Business Review, it is alleged that Islamic terrorists operate in New Zealand. The article states "They have known links to terrorist groups overseas and police and security authorities monitor their fund-raising activities. As recently as April [2001] Security and Intelligence Service director Richard Woods confirmed people in New Zealand had been identified as having links with overseas terrorist groups. He confirmed that terrorists had tried to recruit members and obtain weapons in New Zealand. His disclosures followed a warning last year by a world authority on terrorism that New Zealand was a "cleaning and conditioning station" for Islamic terrorists conducting a holy war". The expert referred to as Mr Yossef Bodansky, director of the US congressional task force on terrorism and unconventional warfare. He is reported as saying that New Zealand was used as a staging post for terrorism because of its liberal society and "relaxed security environment". He said it was an attractive place for terrorists to come to gain refugee status and residence to get "clean" New Zealand documents so they could travel the world easily. Waikato University director of defence and strategic studies, On Smith, is reported in the article as raising questions over Prime Minister Helen Clark's quick commitment to take 150 Afghanis from the Norwegian ship Tampa. He said that screening refugees was a major problem and was the Achilles' heel of national security. "Everyone who wants to plant people knows the best way is to put them among refugees". According to Dr Smith moderate Muslims were concerned by an increasingly fundamentalist line allegedly being taken by clergy at a Hamilton mosque. Former chief of Defence Force Vice-Admiral Sir Somerford Tegale is reported as doubting that adequate procedures were in place to check refugees. The Prime Minister is reported as saying that any individuals found to pose a security risk would be locked up.
[Jock Anderson, "Afghan refugees lift terror stakes", National Business Review, Friday, September 21, 2001, front page]
20 September 2001 Following the announcement that an appeal will be lodged with the High Court of Australia a spokeswoman for the New Zealand Minister of Immigration is reported as saying that the asylum-seekers now in Nauru will be unable to come to New Zealand until all legal avenues in Australia had been exhausted. She had no idea how long that would be. A spokesman for the Immigration Service said that Australia will arrange for the asylum-seekers to be flown to New Zealand after the appeal period was over.
[Scott MacLeod, "Refugees face long wait", NZ Herald, Thursday, September 20, 2001, p A6]
20 September 2001 The Immigration Service said yesterday that refugee claimants would be detained if they could not prove their identity or if there were security concerns. If a refugee claimant is refused a permit for security or identity reasons, he or she can be detained at the Mangere Refugee Resettlement Centre or in prison until identity is proven or a refugee status claim is decided. These changes follow the terrorist attacks on Washington and New York in the United States of America.
["Crackdown on refugees", NZ Herald, Thursday, September 20, 2001, p A3]
19 September 2001 The Government has agreed to give extra funding to the Aviation Security Service to boost their ability to screen domestic air travellers.
[Hon Mark Gosche, "Extra funding for aviation security", Media Statement, Wednesday, 19 September, 2001]
19 September 2001 The Australian Government will introduce legislation which will remove remote island territories from Australia's migration zones and impose minimum five-year jail terms for people smugglers on a first conviction and eight years for a second conviction. Under laws introduced in 1999, anyone convicted of people smuggling faces a maximum jail sentence of twenty years and a fine of up to AUD$220,000. The changes will be backdated to 8 September 2001. Under the proposed law, the Cocos, Christmas and Ashmore islands off Australia's remote northwest coast will not be considered Australian territories under migration laws. The change will allow officials to deny illegal arrivals a visa and move boat people to another location or neighbouring countries to have refugee claims processed. The Minister