Nine out of more than 150 Indian students facing deportation will be sent back to India after they lost their chance this week to stay in New Zealand.
The students have been facing deportation over fraudulent financial documents in their student visa.
But the government doesn’t seem to take this issue and students’ future seriously, says Anu Kaloti of Migrant Workers Association said.
“The lawyer made a direct request to the Immigration Minister. But the rejection letter he received from Immigration New Zealand clearly says that the Associate Minister of Immigration allocated the request to an immigration officer who then made a decision.
Immigration lawyer Alastair McClymont who has been representing around 20 of the students had requested Immigration Minister Michael Woodhouse to cancel the deportation orders about six months ago. The request was submitted after it was found that the education agents based in India submitted the documents on behalf of students.
Mr McClymont said he received an email on Thursday (February 2) morning stating the ministry would not intervene and the student's applications were declined.
“This tell us how non-serious the ministry is about this issue. This was not a regular case. We would still have been happy to have the associate minister look into the issue, but designating it to an immigration officer clearly tell us that they are not serious about it at all,” Ms Kaloti told Indian Weekender.
“It’s the students’ life and future that is at stake here.”
All the nine students are seeking refuge in a local church as a last resort to request Prime Minister Bill English to consider a more sympathetic solution for the students. Students said that they have been receiving huge support from the Christian community in Auckland. Many churches have offered them shelter.
Ms Kaloti said that as Mr English himself is a "devoted Christian we are hoping that he would resonate with the students."
While there is no law in New Zealand to stop police from entering the church, they will have to use force at a religious place to carry out the deportation of the students.
The students are in a mayhem as they feel that their lives are ruined and they have nothing to back to. They are hiding their situation from their parents back home as they fear that it would be difficult and painful for them to know that their child’s future is in dark.
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