Australia and New Zealand are trying to find ways to improve the way they share criminal histories after hundreds of New Zealanders with criminal records got into Australia by deception.
New Zealanders with convictions for manslaughter, rape, kidnapping and robbery in their home country have got into Australia and continued to offend after ticking a box on the Australian arrival card to say they have no criminal history, the Sunday Mail in Brisbane reported.
New Zealanders can enter Australia on a special category visa, provided they haven't been sentenced to a year or more in prison.
It has become more of an issue following the arrest of convicted New Zealand fraudster Joel Morehu-Barlow for embezzling $A16 million ($NZ21 million) from Queensland Health.
Also, although police share information on deportees through Interpol, Australia will not release criminal records on those sent back to New Zealand because privacy laws block many states from doing so, the Herald on Sunday reported.
A Justice Ministry spokesman said New Zealand and Australia had talked about ways of better sharing criminal histories, but that Australian privacy legislation was a major impediment.
"To put a regime in place would require both countries' governments to agree, and suitable legislation to be implemented in both countries.
"A further complexity is that because prisoners are held mostly at a state level, the legislation would have to be compatible with each Australian state."
Australian Immigration Minister Chris Bowen deported four New Zealanders in 2011 using his special powers after they won appeals against deportation decisions.
Mr Bowen confirmed the two governments were looking at ways to improve sharing of criminal histories to prevent serious offenders moving between the countries at will.
New Zealand citizens deported from Australia on completion of their sentence are not subject to supervision or parole conditions they would be if they were staying in Australia.
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