Families and partners split by Covid-19 border restrictions are calling on the Government to allow their loved ones to return to their homes in New Zealand. These are three of their stories.

Leon Von de Vril said he’s been separated from his wife, Marianna Tomerelli, for many months. Tomerelli was supposed to be able to get on a flight to New Zealand on March 19, but she was stopped at the border because she wasn’t travelling with him, Von de Vril said. He said life was on hold while they tried to get Tomerelli back from Scotland. All of their possessions, including their dog, had been sent back to New Zealand, but Tomerelli still cannot return, he said. ‘‘They [Immigration NZ] are letting whole families go to waste . . . this is really stressful.’’ Immigration NZ customer representatives didn’t seem to know what was happening either, he said.

‘‘We get sent in circles, and I am told I have to go to Scotland to collect her and bring her back.’’

Work commitments, financial strain and having to quarantine in both Scotland and New Zealand made flying to Scotland out of the question, Von de Vril said.

‘‘It would be great to have a window, so we could at least consider how long we’ll be apart,’’ he said.

Amrutha Kishore

Permanent resident Amrutha Kishore and her husband, Pranar Krishnakumar, got married in December last year, and now they haven’t seen each other for almost five months.

They spent three months waiting for a partnership visa while in Hong Kong, watching Covid-19 spread – but their visa never came.

‘‘I called them [Immigration NZ] 30 to 40 times, asking and begging them if the partnership visa could be granted . . .

‘‘I knew that the virus was spreading, and they said ‘just wait, it will happen’. ‘‘It didn’t happen, and we’re still waiting.’’

Immigration NZ eventually granted Krishnakumar a visitor visa, but it was too late.

The visa was granted two days after New Zealand’s borders closed. Kishore said life is on hold until they can be together again.

‘‘He’s living in a Hong Kong hotel now, with no belongings, no job, nothing. ‘‘He’s just basically sitting there waiting,’’ she said. ‘‘It’s been 41⁄2 months since I’ve seen my husband.’’

Alpa Desai

Alpa Desai said she’s been trying to get her fiance, Kuldeep Bhatt, to New Zealand from India. They have been in a long-distance relationship for five years, and Bhatt was due to arrive in New Zealand on May 21 – but lockdowns interrupted everything. Bhatt has been granted a general visitor visa, and Desai is calling for an exemption to the travel ban to bring him home. He can’t board a repatriation flight on his general visitor visa.

‘‘India is arranging repatriation flights very soon for Indians who are stuck in New Zealand, but they are also bringing people from India who have valid New Zealand visa; this is an opportunity for people like my fiance to come to New Zealand.’’

Desai had lived in New Zealand for two decades, her daughter was born and raised here, and it was her home. ‘‘We want to address this issue to the Government how serious this issue is and so many loved ones have been separated.’’

Family were the most important part of life, especially partners and spouses, she said.