Where Do These Refugees Fit In? Asks Peters

New Zealand First wants the Government to explain which category it is using to bring in another 150 refugees when there are already hundreds of people in the country seeking such status.

The Government is taking in the 150 Iraqi and Afghan refugees from Nauru and Manus Island as part of New Zealand’s annual quota of 750 refugees.

Rt Hon Winston Peters pointed out today that there was a backlog of hundreds of cases before the Refugee Appeal Authority, which would take several years to process while the applicants stayed in New Zealand and accepted its benefits.

“It is hard to understand why we are taking these people as part of our annual quota when we can obviously fill it from within New Zealand - or is this another case of government grandstanding?

“We also have about 20,000 overstayers in the country, a various assortment of asylum seekers plus at least one suspected terrorist.

“It is time for the Immigration Minister to publicly explain the numbers being accepted under all categories so that New Zealanders can see we are not actually exceeding our quota.

“New Zealand cannot keep importing people when all our systems are straining under the load of the senseless immigration policies pursued by this government,” said Mr Peters.

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