HIV refugees to cost NZ taxpayer

The National Party’s alarmed by new statistics showing the number of HIV positive refugees who plan to give birth in New Zealand, putting stretched hospital services under more strain.

The Party’s Immigration spokesman Murray McCully has gained figures under the Official Information Act from the National Women’s Hospital business plan.

“According to the Plan there are 116 migrant women with HIV in the hospital’s catchment and 40% expect to give birth in the next five years,” says Mr McCully.

“There’s also a growing number of Asian, African, and Middle Eastern Muslim women who’ve been circumcised, they’ll also need specialist care during pregnancy.

“The fact National Women’s Hospital singles them out in its business plan for specialist treatment, I believe is significant,” says Mr McCully.

“It’s important people are able to understand, in detail, the true cost of accepting refugees into New Zealand.

“We receive 750 refugees under the UN mandated quota, about the same number of spontaneous refugees, plus the Government’s adopted a new policy to accept a quota of 300 relatives of refugees.

“Given the numbers now arriving into this country it’s time for a full scale review of refugee policy, so we can balance the commitment made by the New Zealand taxpayer against other spending priorities,” Mr McCully says.

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