Abusive husband escapes deportation

A man convicted of assaulting his wife – including waving a knife at her and slapping her in the face – has escaped deportation after a tribunal ruled he has exceptional circumstances. The man, identified only as CJ, is allowed to stay in New Zealand because of his family relationships and need to financially support his mother in the Philippines. CJ, a joiner, came to New Zealand in 2013 and was granted residence as a skilled migrant in 2015, according to a recently-released decision from the Immigration and Protection Tribunal. However, he was issued with a deportation liability notice in late 2020 after being convicted of two counts of assault on a person in a family relationship and one of strangulation or suffocation. CJ was sentenced to six months’ supervision and three months’ community detention. The 45-year-old told the tribunal he regretted his actions. CJ’S wife and children said his deportation would rip their family apart. The tribunal found CJ had exceptional circumstances that would make it ‘‘unduly harsh’’ for him to be deported.