Mark Mitchell - Justice

9 October 2019

A report released today following the decision to let Karel Sroubek have residency in New Zealand shows what we knew all along, Immigration Minister Iain Lees-Galloway shouldn’t have let him stay, National’s Justice spokesperson Mark Mitchell says.

“The report into how Immigration New Zealand prepares case files says the ‘grounds were sufficiently powerful that the decision of the Minister was unexpected.’

“The reality is the Minister was presented with a compelling case from his officials that Karel Sroubek should be deported but he went against their advice. The system works but Iain Lees-Galloway stuffed up. This report cost taxpayers $155,000, more than most New Zealanders earn a year to tell us what we already knew.

“What we still don’t have is a clear explanation from Iain Lees-Galloway about why he made this decision.

“Mr Lees-Galloway didn’t read the file in full, he spent just 45 minutes skimming it. He accepted a convicted criminal at his word that he couldn’t go back to his home country because of concerns for his safety despite the fact he had gone back for visits.

“It’s a shame that so much time and money has gone into this report just to tell us that Iain Lees-Galloway isn’t up to the job. This is yet another working group that could have been avoided.”

ends

© Scoop Media