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Govt warns of Waitangi immigration scam

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Wed, 03 Feb 2010 1:39p.m.

Jonathan Coleman

Jonathan Coleman

Tongan overstayers were being offered false hope by a scam offering citizenship during Waitangi Day weekend, Immigration Minister Jonathan Coleman says.

One News reported last night that hundreds of Tongan overstayers have been invited to go to Waitangi on Saturday where they could get citizenship in exchange for $1000 from Ngapuhi iwi elder Kingi Taurua.

It quoted Mr Taurua as saying said he was prepared to adopt them into his tribe to save them being deported.

"We establish our own laws and we take into our tribe whoever we want to. If the Government is going to take these overstayers away, then Maori need to do something about that," he said.

Dr Coleman said that people should not be taken in.

"I cannot state strongly enough that the only path to residence or citizenship is through the New Zealand Government," he said in a statement.

"Adoption into a hapu will not legally confer citizenship or residency upon anyone. The only agency that can offer residency is Immigration New Zealand.

"My advice to people is that if approached by anyone offering New Zealand citizenship or residency via hapu adoption, contact the police."

Labour MP Carmel Sepuloni said the scam took advantage of desperate people and followed a similar scam last year.

She said the Government needed to crack down on offenders.

"In the meantime people need to be aware that these types of scheme are continuing to operate. People should be very dubious of anyone offering them New Zealand citizenship for a price.

"People need to know that no-one other than Immigration New Zealand has the power to grant permanent residency and only Internal Affairs can offer citizenship. If an offer to help you gain New Zealand citizenship sounds too good to be true then it probably is."

NZPA

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Comments

31 May 2010 10:41p.m.

Heremia wrote:

Its Quite funny dude when you take a look at the Preamble to the Treaty O waitangi.... as it was an arrangement for the prisoners,crooks, vagabonds and thieves that arrived here to manage and govern themselves with the intent as a trick not treaty and caused the deceptive Government system to take place and all the rights from Maori and now that the treaty has been dishonoured so those who came out here via the settler process are all overstayers ha ha ha

04 Feb 2010 09:54a.m.

Jan.. wrote:

Maori should have there own law knowing this is there country by right but than again it is up to the Maori and the Goverment..
There are more overstayer's from all over the world in this country hidden away living in false hope and not only the Tongan but the Maori prefer to have them in there iwi territory..If Maori granted there own law and I garranteed that all the ovestayer's will come forward to issue there citizenships and to make it safe for our country people knowing where the overstayer's live and to help lessen the crime down..

03 Feb 2010 04:20p.m.

Lassie wrote:

Tongans and other island people know about Mr Taurua scam so why go on about it. Everyone is aware of how immigration works so apply thru proper channels and stop harping about old scenarios and get on with it. That applies to all cultures as well.

03 Feb 2010 04:16p.m.

dude wrote:

What a great oppertunity for the Govt. here, they can collar the overstayers and the and the maori swindlers all in one go.

03 Feb 2010 03:50p.m.

Obiwan wrote:

Now, it is no longer required to pay $ 1,000. A donation of $ 1,000 would be marvellous but if you cannot do that, sorry, we cannot help you. And in another 10 years, they want the certificate of citizenship back, unless they pay more again. The article is flawed, though, tribe should have been bribe.

03 Feb 2010 02:56p.m.

Jan.. wrote:

Send all the immagrants home and all overstayes and so as the people who corrupted our country unless the Maori and the goverment come to an agreedment about the overstayer's..