50 people deported from Southland in past five years
Fifty people have been deported from Southland during the past five years, data from the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment shows.
MBIE national manager of immigration compliance Stephanie Greathead said Immigration New Zealand served deportation notices and orders to people because of criminal activity, other public interest factors or being unlawfully in New Zealand.
From January 1, 2019 to March 15, 2024, there were 5982 people deported from New Zealand, of which Southland captured 0.8%.
In 2019, there was 1 deportation from Southland, 13 in 2020, 15 in 2021, 11 in 2022, and 6 in 2023.
From January 1 2024 to March 15 2024, there had already been four deportations from Southland.
Of the total 50 deportations, deportations were nine, voluntary departures were 35 and self-deported deportations were six.
Greathead said the impact of Covid meant there were fewer people entering New Zealand on visas and the border closures limited the ministry’s ability to carry out deportations.
The ministry also carried out priority compliance visits with people who were about to be released from prison, were overstayers, people with no avenues of appeal or those determined to be a non-genuine refugee.
Greathead said Immigration NZ worked with the Department of Corrections and other agencies to manage the cases of people who were in prison and liable for deportation on their release from prison.
A media release from the ministry in May 2023 stated that between July 2022 and May 2023, the top five countries for people who had voluntarily departed or had been deported were India, China, Samoa, Fiji and Tonga.