Media Release
8 April 2004

Official Papers Reveal Serious Corruption And Fraud In Immigration Service

New Zealand First has called on the Government to make a clean sweep through the Immigration Service to get rid of staff involved in corrupt or fraudulent practices and the management that allowed it to happen.

Leader Rt Hon Winston Peters said a review carried out by KPMG revealed that between 2001 and 2003 there were 78 allegations of fraud involving 49 staff. Twenty one of these cases were substantiated and 17 are still open.

“During this time there were unprecedented numbers of immigrants coming into New Zealand and there were numerous allegations of corruption and fraud, which were consistently denied by the previous Immigration Minister.

“It has now been revealed that immigration staff were themselves involved and this raises serious questions about the type of people who have been allowed into the country by corrupt officials.”

Mr Peters said that a major review needed to be carried out into all applications for residency or citizenship that had been handled by those officials found to have failed in their duty.

“The security of New Zealand is at stake. We must stamp out the fraud and corruption within the Immigration Service, both here and overseas, and try to find out who has slipped through border surveillance into New Zealand,” said Mr Peters.

ENDS

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