‘We want our families home’
Open letter to PM outlines the pain caused by NZ’s border restrictions
Families and partners kept apart by Covid-19 border restrictions are calling on the Government to exercise compassion by allowing their loved ones to return to their homes in New Zealand.
It comes as an experienced immigration adviser describes the Government’s handling of the issue as ‘‘a disaster’’.
An open letter has been penned to Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Immigration Minister Iain Lees-Galloway outlining the emotional toll their indefinite separation is having upon them.
Several members of the NZ Citizens Separated by NZ Border Closure Facebook group have applied for border exemptions, only to have their applications declined by authorities.
The lack of information from Immigration New Zealand (INZ) and ongoing uncertainty over when they can be reunited with their loved ones is ‘‘causing a huge unnecessary emotional strain on all of us’’.
‘‘We are New Zealand’s nurses, tradesmen, mental health professionals, scientists, tax advisers, musicians, teachers and civil servants. New Zealand is, and always will be, our home. At the moment, we have no idea when we will be reunited with our loved ones. Our lives are on hold.’’
Group members have said they are ‘‘disappointed’’ their plights have not been considered by the Government and pleaded for this to change.
‘‘The impact on our lives is serious, some of our partners have been left with nowhere to live as their family home is in New Zealand.’’
Marianna Tomarelli created the group, thinking ‘‘it would just be a handful of us’’.
‘‘But more join by the day and some of the stories are heartbreaking. Mainly everyone just wants information,’’ Tomarelli said.
Another New Zealand citizen, who has told her story on the condition of anonymity, has been separated from her partner for seven months.
‘‘It’s very distressing not knowing when we could meet again and [my] mental health is not in the best state.’’
Malcolm Pacific Immigration director David Cooper said there was a ‘‘truckload of people feeling that pain’’.
‘‘The whole thing about how the Government is handling the border has been a disaster,’’ Cooper said.
‘‘There’s a whole lot of people that are hurting out there, both in the economic sense with employers [not being able to get their employees back], but also in the emotional sense – people who are separated.
‘‘It’s the Government that’s got to fix it, and they’re not,’’ Cooper said.
He questioned why the Government had been unable to give a timeframe on when border restrictions could be eased.
INZ border and visa operations general manager Nicola Hogg said Covid-19 had forced the closure of all of its offshore offices and only applications with an approved border exemption attached were being processed. The bar for exemptions was ‘‘set high’’ with essential health workers and those with critical humanitarian reasons among the few given special dispensation.
‘‘INZ has no ability to apply discretion’’ when it comes to exemptions, with about 2000 of the 10,000 applications being declined as of last Sunday.
A spokesman for the prime minister said Ardern had received the letter and would respond directly to it.
‘‘Our borders represent the greatest risk of letting the virus back in, so we’re being very cautious in only allowing returning New Zealanders and a small number of essential workers to enter at the moment,’’ the spokesman said.
Lees-Galloway said while it was a difficult situation, the border closure was ‘‘an essential’’ sacrifice to keep New Zealanders safe. ‘‘I am currently awaiting advice on these issues including using the new powers established under the Immigration Act and will then make decisions on potential visa changes that may assist them.’’