Ardern, speaking to reporters in Northland on Monday afternoon, said New Zealand was obliged to receive Aden and “had a choice”.
“Either Turkey would move at any point to repatriate without New Zealand having the ability to plan for that properly, or we accept that we have an obligation, undeniably given that this is a New Zealand citizen, to make the plans ourselves,” Ardern said.
“In making those plans, we can ensure that we have the safety considerations of New Zealanders as our highest priority ... I can give absolute assurances that we have used all of the tools available to us to ensure the safety of New Zealanders on this return.”