2100 overstayers deported last year

More than 2100 overstayers were deported from New Zealand last year, most of them voluntarily.

The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) describes overstayers as people, documented by Immigration NZ, whose visas have expired, who have not taken up citizenship, have no other visa, and have exhausted basic rights for a visa extension or different visa.

MBIE figures show most overstayers come from Tonga, followed by Samoa, China, India, and Britain. It estimates the official number of overstayers at 10,894, but says it could be anywhere between 10,433 and 11,355. The vagueness is due to issues such as multiple legitimate identities, or missing travel and death records.

Many of those people have little or no access to social welfare, justice or medical care, according to Immigration adviser Jig Patel, who says simply going to a public hospital can mean a risk of being deported, as can applying for a driver’s licence, or going to court.

‘‘Once they become overstayers, they have no rights,’’ Patel, from Immigration Centre, said. ‘‘In some cases INZ would not listen even if they made a mistake or the process was flawed.’’

The usual process for people who became overstayers was to come into New Zealand on a temporary entry visa, such as student, visitor or work visa.

If they wanted to extend the visa and INZ took too long to assess the application, they could get an interim visa. But if the extension was declined they automatically became overstayers, Patel said.

At that point they could apply to the immigration minister, currently Iain Lees-Galloway. Alternatively, they could make an application on humanitarian grounds – a category usually granted only if death awaited them in their home country – or leave New Zealand and reapply from overseas.

Those who stayed and fought had little chance of success, and even less chance of successfully reapplying if they were deported.

INZ national border manager Senta Jehle said overstayers had to realise that, unless there were special circumstances that called for the granting of a visa, they had to leave New Zealand or be deported.

Those facing deportation were dealt with according to their circumstances, Jehle said. ‘‘Those engaged in criminality are the highest priority for deportation.’’

Of the 2164 deported in the last financial year, 1437 were voluntary, with preceding years following a similar pattern.

A voluntary deportation did not stop people returning to New Zealand if they were able to get a visa, Jehle said.