Parents ask for visa to tend graves

WELLINGTON: Pressure is mounting for the Government to reconsider the plea for lifelong visitor visas from Chinese parents who lost their only child in the Christchurch earthquake.

These parents — known as shidu parents because they lost the only child they were ever allowed to have — want lifelong visas so they can tend their children’s graves each year.

Current immigration policy does not allow for longlasting visitor visas, but calls are growing for the Government to ‘‘show some compassion’’ to these grieving families.

The collapse of the CTV building in the February 2011 quake claimed 115 lives, including 23 Chinese students who were in a language school on the fourth floor.

Tim Elms, of North Canterbury, who lost his daughter in the CTV building, said reading about the plight of the shidu parents had affected him personally.

‘‘If I was in a similar situation, I would want to visit my daughter whenever I liked,’’ he said.

‘‘I would find it impossibly hard not to be able to visit her grave.’’

Granting lifelong visitor visas to the shidu parents should be deemed ‘‘a humanitarian move’’ rather than a policy move, Mr Elms said. On Saturday, the Weekend Herald published an investigation into the Chinese families who were the first generation of parents affected by the onechild policy and who lost their only child in the quake, which struck six years ago today.

Following the story, various readers vowed to contact Immigration Minister Michael Woodhouse to express dismay over the fact these parents were denied lifelong visas because of policy restrictions.

Dave Bromwich, president of the China New Zealand Friendship Society, claimed the shidu parents raised a valid request that should be respected rather than ignored.

‘‘This is a serious issue and it needs to be considered compassionately, outside of Western judgments,’’ Mr Bromwich said.

Labour leader Andrew Little called for compassion for the parents.

These parents could not speak English and there were cultural barriers which made the normal visa application process daunting and unaffordable, Mr Little said.

‘‘Putting up hurdles and barriers is wrong. We ought to be able to make an exception here.’’

Under current immigration policy allows Chinese citizens a threeyear visitor visa. — NZME