She said the government is waiting to see whether commercial flights out of India will come back on stream after being paused.
Travel agencies and the Indian community are reported to be organising flights to repatriate New Zealanders from India which could be ready to go by the end of the month if they get approval from officials here.
Ardern said she was aware of that but the government had no plans to facilitate such flights because commercial flights may come back on stream. I would also highlight that there are some who are managing to find a path through [from India to New Zealand], travel agents have been able to support people with that so I would just urge people to use those options as well.
Singh, who has been in New Zealand for a decade, was frustrated at the immigration system after being separated from his Indian family for four years. He had repeatedly tried to gain entry for his wife and daughter but had been declined because officials thought his marriage was not genuine. “I don’t know what to do. I hope they will listen to us. My wife is not coping. She has given up, and I’m giving up too.” Early childhood teacher Shruti Paralkar was visibly emotional, recounting how difficult the past 14 months had been as she waited to see her 6-year-old daughter and husband who remained in India.
Charlotte te Riet Scholten-Phillips: Time to return kindness to migrant children
11 May, 2021 05:00 PM
5 minutes to read
Migrant families, separated from loved ones by Covid-19 border restrictions, with supporters outside Parliament in April. Photo / Supplied
Migrant families, separated from loved ones by Covid-19 border restrictions, with supporters outside Parliament in April. Photo / Supplied
NZ Herald
OPINION Aotearoa has long been a home for migrants. With 160 different ethnic groups living here, and a quarter of those living here born elsewhere, New Zealand s migrants have come for many reasons – from opportunity and freedom, to better education for themselves and their children.
Some even came because they saw a new kind of politics in action – a Government that seemed intent on living its kindness, a prime minister young and relatable, and a country that aspired to be the best place in the world for a child to grow up.
Several migrant groups have come together as FAM –
Federation of Aotearoa Migrants.
FAM is here to
amplify migrant voices and to highlight issues endured by
migrants due to the broken immigration system in Aotearoa
New Zealand
Our requests are simple:
The ever-moving goal post of getting
residence - Give residence now to those already
here
Migrant worker exploitation is never ending -
Detach visas from employers
Visa processing delays
cause havoc for migrant lives – allocate more resources at
INZ
Unite separated families - Reset immigration
policy and overhaul INZ
Frustration of adversely
affected migrants has found its way through numerous