No-one in this country wants to see a repeat of what went on in this country 50 years ago, cops bashing down doors and dragging the offenders away from their screaming children.
It was a dark chapter in this country's history and it's one the Ardern Government profusely apologised to the Pacific community for, with Ardern pictured sorrowfully embracing the descendants of those who were invaded and denouncing it.
Ardern's father Ross, as a young police officer, was ordered to take part in the Government ordered crackdown and she said at the time of the apology that he was uncomfortable with the raids and felt it wasn't part of a cop's job.
Well, despite the "sorrow, remorse and regret" Ardern expressed at the mea culpa ceremony, incredibly they're at it again.
Community Law South Auckland lawyer Soane Foliaki revealed to Tagata Pasifika that police showed up at 5am at the home of one of his clients, scaring his children and taking him into custody. The cops were banging on the back and front doors, the parents were upstairs with their youngest child while the other four children were left cowering downstairs.
The distressed children's father was taken away.
And this raid wasn't a one off. Immigration New Zealand has confirmed about 18 or 19 raids have occurred between July last year and April this year, occurring "outside of hours" which doesn't take.an immigration consultant to figure out what that means.
It seems the highly embarrassed Government's been blindsided on this one, at least that's what they're claiming, and the fact the raids have continued, despite assurances given at the apology. If Immigration didn't consult the Government then bureaucratic heads should roll.
The sounds of dogs barking, people beating on doors and crying children played at the emotional apology ceremony should still be ringing in the Government's ears with Ardern saying at the time the Pacific community continue to "suffer and carry the scars.".
There are surely more humanitarian ways of dealing with people who overstay their visas, like nabbing them after they leave their property for work.
The mighty Minister who seems to be in charge of everything that goes wrong, Michael Wood, is now considering an amnesty for the 14,000 overstayers in this country.
Ardern essentially said the same thing almost two years ago!
Barry Soper is a New Zealand political journalist, and has been featured regularly on radio and television since the 1970s. Currently, Soper's main role is political editor at Newstalk ZB, a radio network in New Zealand.
6 comments:
Unbelievable, the hypocy. And 10 years down the track or further we will hBr our board rubbed in it, hBimg go suffer shame fo a crime committed by our crappy government. Good one CIndy you've done it again. Making people feel crappy. Because it's you that set it all up.
Were any doors ever actually "bashed down"? It always seems to me that the public response (Polynesian driven) was far too soppy, backed by the press, always looking for emotive spiel. Sure other overstayers were not similarly pursued but they were far more easily identifiable and traceable and often placed little or no negative load on society. But the earlier overstayers were often a drag on relatives and directly or indirectly the state. As were the children, often raised here in numbers, in large part as hostage excuses to remain. With the large number of oversea's workers here now, efficient and practical enforcement is necessary. Are police expected to "hide" in vans outside and in adjoining properties and somehow intercept the first decoy the occupants send out? Or wait for days whilst the defector is concealed inside, or might be. Attempted interception in public is fraught with all the emotive problems of wrong identity and accusations of racial profiling. The biggest mistake made was apology. Efficient interception releases police to address the myriad other problems now rampant. This time the police seem to be treating races equally which should delight Meng.
What are the "humanitarian" methods of springing and expelling deliberate scheming overstayers and families raised here? What methods are applied in their home countries?
I fail to see the problem with the raids. Having lived and worked in many countries keeping yourself legal is your responsibility. Once you become illegally resident you lose all rights. I have had the banging on the door at midnight to check my visa status. Was it annoying, yes, was I angry, no. Because I could show the required paperwork, received a polite thank you, and off they went.
Why should those breaking the law be treated with kid gloves. Why are they suddenly a poor victim when they are caught.
Totally agree with CXH, I have had a work visa approved to live with my wife and children in a Pacific Island country for a year. I jumped through all the required hoops, including providing multiple medical tests beforehand to met that country’s criteria for work entry (something that same country didn’t require of the multitude of visiting international tourists, their economy depended upon). While living there, I abided by all their laws and contributed significantly more tax there than I would have for the same income if working in NZ. When my one year visa was nearing expiry the company I worked for decided not to continue with my employment due to the anticipated downturn of the GFC. There was never any consideration that myself and my family would remain a moment longer in their country and become a burden once the visa expired and our right to remain there was over. I know for a fact that country had deported other foreigners who didn’t have the necessary documentation to remain, and none of them received any apology for that treatment. We are a highly manipulated nation, by the likes of media pundits like Soper, who enjoy casting doubt on right and wrong, black and white, and all manner of obvious facts. Would the stigma of the raids been less so, had they occurred at dusk, or as often happens, during the course of a working day when businesses are operating and officials enter to inspect the required paperwork?
To CXH
Because the woke code demands this response.An important principle of this doctrine.
In any altercation, the non-European must be assumed innocent, therefore the victim. This is does not apply to Europeans.
Break the law, suffer the (reasonable) consequences, period. Getting woken in the early morning when you're more likely to be home doesn't seem unreasonable to me. As for making a multi-million dollar apology and research/book grant, what a nonsense.
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