Government must ban dawn raids and grant amnesty

The Green Party is calling on the Government to follow up words with actions, and ban the practice of dawn raids and provide an amnesty to all overstayers.

“The report released yesterday by Mike Heron KC should be a wake up call for the Government. Two years ago the government apologised for the dawn raids of the 1970s. They should have listened to community leaders who immediately after the apology were calling for both an amnesty for overstayers and an end to the practice of dawn raids,” says Green Party immigration spokesperson Ricardo Menéndez March.

“Dawn raids are terrifying, and a discriminatory implementation of immigration laws. They are a shameful stain on New Zealand history, and we do not want another generation to grow up with the trauma of seeing loved ones dragged away for no good reason.

“One of the main recommendations of the independent review is to ban or restrict the practice of dawn raids in law.

“The new Immigration Minister has a chance to make the apology meaningful by introducing legislation to ban dawn raids outright, and introduce an amnesty for overstayers before the election.

“Migrants deserve to be treated with dignity and respect by our immigration system. But for many in our community, our immigration system has left them behind. They've fallen through the cracks, left vulnerable to exploitation, and denied the safety and security of a visa.

“The Green Party is the only party that has consistently fought for an end to dawn raids and an amnesty for overstayers.

“Just this weekend we released our manifesto where we made it clear that an amnesty for overstayers and overhauling our immigration system so people are treated with respect and dignity are priorities for the Green Party” says Ricardo Menéndez March.

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