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PM Issues Clear Invitation to Asylum Seekers
Media Release
30 August 2001
Prime Minister Issues
Clear Invitation to Asylum Seekers - Peters
The Rt Hon
Winston Peters MP, Leader of New Zealand First, today said
that the Prime Minister’s comments that hundreds of asylum
seekers on a Norwegian cargo ship off Christmas Island would
be allowed into New Zealand if the boat came our way is
sending a clear invitation for just that to
happen.
“Refugee camps cost a fortune whilst trying to sort out whether the refugees are genuine or not. Over the years New Zealanders have become a soft touch for these sorts of things – determining our immigration policy on an ad hoc basis. Moreover, there is significant criminality in New Zealand’s big cities today as a result of totally inadequate security checks on immigrants in the late 80s and 90s and that has continued despite numerous warnings by those in the know.
“Four years ago New Zealand was threatened with a similar influx of two boat loads of asylum seekers from Asia. As Deputy Prime Minister, I did not believe we should have let them enter New Zealand and my view has not changed since then,” said Mr Peters.
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