No basis for allowing Avatar film crew in

THE government allowed the Avatar film crew to come to New Zealand when no criteria for it existed in immigration rules.

New rules were published on Tuesday and were backdated to 2 June, but the crew and other workers were allowed exemptions to the border closure last month.

Immigration lawyer James McLeod said the original criteria from March did not allow for exceptions on the grounds of significant economic value.

‘‘I don’t see how the decision to allow the Avatar crew into New Zealand could have been made pursuant to the immigration instructions in force at the time, because the definition of essential workout was much narrower then,’’ he said.

‘‘It involved delivering a response to the Covid-19 crisis, and/or maintaining critical infrastructure, neither of which I would consider a Hollywood film would fall within.

‘‘So we have a government that has published a list of exceptions to the travel ban and then a government minister, other than the minister of immigration has made an exception to their published list, applying unpublished criteria, for example the significant economic value exemption doesn’t actually appear anywhere in the immigration instructions.’’

The immigration minister announced a softening of the border restrictions this week, with partners and dependants able to enter the country without having to be accompanied by their New Zealand-resident relatives.

It also allowed maritime vessels in under specific circumstances and granted permission to two America’s Cup crews, including their families.

This story was originally published on RNZ.co.nz