Matua Kahurangi: Why I think New Zealand needs its own version of Australia's 501 deportation law

As many of you know, I often write about issues that mainstream media outlets flat-out refuse to touch, particularly when it comes to immigrants, asylum seekers and foreign nationals who have committed serious and often violent crimes in New Zealand. The reason is simple - the mainstream media is too scared to say what needs to be said. Being independent means I don’t have to tiptoe around these topics or worry about what some newsroom boss thinks is “appropriate.”

I was recently thinking about Australia’s Section 501 of the Migration Act. This legislation allows the Australian government to cancel a non-citizen’s visa if they fail the so-called “character test.” It applies to anyone sentenced to 12 months or more in prison. It doesn’t matter how long they’ve lived in the country - if they weren’t born there and they’re convicted of a serious crime, they can be sent packing. These deportees are often referred to as “501s.”

Now I’ll be honest. In some cases, it does seem pretty brutal. Some of these people have lived in Australia their entire lives and only spent a few days in the country they’re being deported to - like New Zealand. But here’s the thing. At the end of the day, Australia is doing what it believes is necessary to protect its citizens. Honestly, I think we should be doing the same.

Too often in New Zealand we are seeing foreign nationals, including those who have been here since childhood, repeatedly reoffend. Some are involved in violent assaults, sexual violence, gang activity or drug trafficking. What do we do? We let them out of prison to reoffend again, while the victims - many of them women and children, live with the lifelong consequences. If we had a system that allowed us to cancel their visas and put them on a flight back to their country of origin, I’d support it without hesitation.

Peter Dutton

Peter Dutton, the former leader of the Liberal Party in Australia, made international headlines when he referred to the 501 deportation policy as “taking out the trash.” Predictably, this caused outrage among the political and ‘Māori elite’ in New Zealand. Former foreign minister Nanaia Mahuta called his comment offensive, saying it “trashed his own reputation” and was “a reflection on his own character.”

Is that really surprising, though? This is the same woman who married her first cousin - a practice that most of the civilised world regards as vile incest. Maybe she should have a long, hard look at her own choices before lecturing others on morality.

Despite the outrage expressed by some politicians, the 501 law has had real impact in Australia. It helps keep the public safe. It sends a clear and powerful message that crime has consequences. It saves taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars per year per inmate. Most importantly, it puts the rights of law-abiding citizens ahead of those who have repeatedly proven they have no respect for the laws or values of the country they’re living in.

New Zealand’s current approach is soft, ineffective and dangerous. How many more violent rapes or senseless killings do we need before our politicians admit that their immigration and justice policies are failing us? How many more innocent lives need to be destroyed before someone has the guts to say - if you commit serious crimes in this country and you are not a citizen, your time is up?

A New Zealand version of Section 501 wouldn’t fix everything overnight. However, it would be a damn good start. It would give us the tools to hold people accountable and to say clearly that New Zealand is not a dumping ground for those who want to take advantage of our generosity.

If you abuse the privilege of being here, you lose it. Simple as that.

Matua Kahurangi is just a bloke sharing thoughts on New Zealand and the world beyond. No fluff, just honest takes. He blogs on https://matuakahurangi.com/ where this article was sourced.