It’s no doddle getting into NZ

Nearly 3000 people have been prevented from boarding a flight to New Zealand, and around 1300 refused entry on arrival.

New figures, published in Immigration New Zealand’s annual report, show that the main reason people were prevented from boarding was a lack of a visa.

The highest number of passengers refused entry were from Malaysia, followed by Hong Kong, then Brazil.

Almost 6 million passengers arrived here during the 2015/16 financial year — up 9 per cent from the previous 12 months.

The report also provided insight into the types of characters being dealt with by border security.

A Mexican national who arrived in Christchurch had a plan to stay for three months, to see ‘‘beaches and gardens, kiwis, kangaroos and boomerangs’’.

He needed a break from his home country, owing to ‘‘security concerns’’ with the legalisation of cannabis, he said. The man was promptly turned around.

In another case, a Brazilian national was refused entry for being a non-genuine visitor owing to her poor knowledge of New Zealand.

According to the report: ‘‘She claimed she wanted to see The Lord Of The Rings locations and knew that Harry Potter was the main character of the film.’’

A Russian passenger was out after he was unable to provide an explanation for the 64 credit cards, 100 sim cards, two passports and six mobile phones in his possession.

Immigration New Zealand’s national border manager, Senta Jehle, said as well as protecting the country’s borders, staff also facilitated the entry of genuine travellers.

‘‘Increasing passenger volumes and international environment challenge us all to be increasingly innovative and connected to ensure effective border processes into the future.’’