Enhanced Security Checks In And Outside New Zealand

Improved anti-terrorism and security measures, worth $9.6 million, to strengthen immigration efforts abroad and in New Zealand are confirmed in Budget 2002.

The measures include:
- Funding to implement the Advanced Passenger Processing (APP) System.
- $462,000 a year to pay for 24-hour security at the Mangere Refugee Resettlement Centre.
- Fingerprinting people claiming refugee status after their arrival in New Zealand. It will cost $151,000 to set up in year one, and $89,000 to continue operating in out years.

Immigration Minister Lianne Dalziel said the budget confirmed an earlier announcement that the New Zealand Immigration Service will use the APP system to identify and screen passengers bound for New Zealand, prior to them boarding an aircraft.

“In year one, APP will be allocated $1.055 million in operational and $619,000 in capital funding. Operational funding will be $1.826 in year two, and $1.918 in year three and outyears. We expect APP to be up and running in 2002-03.

“APP will be an invaluable tool in our ability to scrutinise people before they get on the plane, which means we can prevent people who are attempting to circumvent our immigration laws from arriving in New Zealand,” Ms Dalziel said.

“In addition, a fingerprinting system for all people who claim refugee status after their arrival in New Zealand will be introduced.

“This is a sensible approach as all asylum seekers who claim refugee status at the border are already routinely fingerprinted. Extending the fingerprinting system to include those who claim refugee status, sometimes years after their arrival, will reduce the ability of people to claim more than once under different identities,” Ms Dalziel said.

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