Transit visa requirement dropped
Updated
Pacific Island community leaders in New Zealand have welcomed the decision to scrap transit visas for people from most island countries travelling through Auckland airport. Many Pacific Islanders have to come via Auckland when travelling between countries in the region, and up to now they've had to apply for a transit visa, costing $A105. That requirement has now been scrapped.
Presenter: Bruce Hill
Speakers: Melino Maka, chair of the New Zealand Tongan Advisory Council; New Zealand Labour Department spokesperson, Tofilau Kerupi Tavita
HILL: The lifting of the transit visa requirement comes into force on the 28th of this month and affects every Pacific Island country except Fiji. New Zealand Labour department spokesman Tofilau Kerupi Tavita says the old transit rules did cause some inconvenience for Pacific Air travellers.
TAVITA: Well they weren't allowed to actually leave the transit part of the airport actually and if they left the airport even if they were there only for 24 hours that they needed a visitor's visa.
HILL: Why was it that they had to suffer those restrictions in the first place?
TAVITA: Well initially transit visas were seen as a way in which we were able to manage those people who are seeking asylum at the airport, and as the statistics would clearly demonstrate those numbers have dropped not only for New Zealand but globally, and as a result of tighter systems within our border around being able to manage those people who would seek asylum at the airport. So it no longer became relevant to today and we made a decision that perhaps we needed to revise and the decision from Cabinet was to actually now take that out.
HILL: Was it much of a problem for people transiting through Auckland this having to stay in the transit area?
TAVITA: No it wasn't but there was always the possibility of as I've said that the issue was more about people seeking asylum at the airport.
HILL: But in this reform the Fijians have missed out, why is that?
TAVITA: Well that's because the government has stated a very strong position with regards to the regime that currently is operating within Fiji, as long as that regime continues to govern Fiji and that there isn't a process for a democratically elected government, the sanctions will be adhered to and this is one of those that has been added.
HILL: The lifting of the transit visa requirement has been welcomed by Pacific Island communities in New Zealand, including Melino Maka, chair of the country's Tongan Advisory Council. He says the move is a positive recognition of the country's regional identity.
MAKA: That is recognising that New Zealand is a Pacific country and often that some of the families that are coming through to go to other destinations, often they ring up and when we turn up they could not come out and meet us. So it is quite, not only inconvenient but also the cost it actually imposes on those families.
HILL: How much of a burden was it on people traveling within the Pacific having to get a transit visa?
MAKA: It's not just a burden but it's also inconvenient, and also there are financial costs of trying to obtain a visa and often you have to apply well in advance beforehand, even if you just stop off in Auckland. So this is very, very good news and very positive for the Pacific countries which are actually listed.
HILL: What do you think the reaction will be like from Pacific Island travelers going through Auckland as a result of this?
MAKA: I spoke to some of the members of the Tongan community the response they said is long overdue, and I couldn't agree more.
HILL: Fijians aren't being covered by this of course, what do you think the reaction will be like from Pacific Islanders in New Zealand to that?
MAKA: I think understandably that the political relationship between New Zealand and Fiji, because the Pacific community I think are giving time to get Fiji to organise its internal affairs and I'm sure that that will apply to Fiji too. But for the time being the majority of people they understand why Fiji is not part of this.
