Deportee: It’s not fair

A Cook Islands-born Australian criminal fighting deportation to New Zealand says being forced to come to a country he’s never set foot in will ‘‘devastate’’ his family.

Wichman Uriaere, 26, is being held in a detention centre in Australia while his lawyer appeals the Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton’s decision to kick him out of the country he’s called home since he was four.

‘‘I don’t I feel like I deserve it. It’s not fair what’s going on,’’ Uriaere said.

‘‘It would be devastating for me and my brothers and sisters. I have been their role model and sole provider at home.’’

His school-aged siblings would be ‘shaken up’ if he left. ‘‘I have been present in their life a lot. It would be very hard.’’

Uriaere was sentenced to 21⁄2 years’ prison for an aggravated robbery he says he’s innocent of, but admits earlier offending was driven by his drug use. He denies officials’ assessment he’s a risk to the Australian public and says if forced to come to New Zealand he’d have no support and it would be harder for him to stay out of trouble.