13 July 2005

Family Quota A State Sponsored Rip Off Says Peters

“It is about time New Zealanders were told that the Government is endorsing a state sponsored taxpayer rip off by importing large numbers of beneficiaries into the country”, said New Zealand First Leader Rt Hon Winston Peters.

Mr Peters is responding to the fact that the Government has not honoured its 16 September 2001 promise “that there would be tougher enforcement of requirements that families financially support for two years those they bring in, with provision to make sponsoring families reimburse the cost of welfare benefits claimed by their extended family”.

“It is outrageous that if a sponsor was a former refugee, they do not have to declare sufficient personal resources to maintain the individual or individuals they are sponsoring to New Zealand for the first 24 months”, said Mr Peters.

“It is no little wonder that June 2004 figures from the New Zealand Immigration Service’s publication, ‘Refugee Voices: A Journey Towards Resettlement’, reveal that after six months of family reunion refugees arriving in New Zealand, that 91% rely on a Government benefit as their sole source of income.

“On top of this we learn that one of the reasons refugees are unable to support family members they bring to New Zealand is because it would hinder them from sending money to their other family members overseas.

“Just when we thought we had enough home grown problems of our own, this Labour Government is flim flamming New Zealanders by encouraging large numbers of benefit dependent refugees and their extended families to make New Zealand their home.

“The Government is not doing New Zealanders or refugees any favours by locking them and their family members into a lifetime of benefit dependency”, said Mr Peters.

ENDS

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