Couple deported after faking son's death

A Chinese couple who faked their son's death to secure New Zealand residency have lost their bid to stay in the country.

The Deportation Review Tribunal has dismissed an appeal against a 2003 decision to revoke the pair's resident's permits, the Dominion Post reported yesterday.

Diekuan Yang and Fusong Su had been in New Zealand for nine years before it was discovered they had lied to obtain their resident's permits.

The couple, who had two children in China, had told the Immigration Service they had only one. When they were questioned, they provided a fake death certificate in their son's name.

Mr Su and Mrs Yang admitted lying, but said they wanted to stay because their daughter and son-in-law were in New Zealand. If they returned to China they would have to live in a crowded house with other family members.

The tribunal dismissed their appeal and said it was a "calculated and deliberate" attempt to deceive.

"The tribunal regards the appellants' attempts to supply false documents relating to the death of their son as a poor reflection on both of them and finds little merit in their explanation," the ruling said.

Meanwhile, Samoan man Manumailagi Puloutele, who amassed 10 convictions within 10 months of arriving in New Zealand on a resident's permit in 1999, has also lost his bid to remain here.

Manumailagi, 24, has lost his appeal against a 2001 removal order, after he was jailed for four years for helping to rob a Porirua takeaway shop at gunpoint. While in jail, he continued offending, including assaulting a prison guard.

The tribunal said the offending was serious and had a devastating impact on the shop owners.

"Mere preference" to stay in New Zealand was not enough, it said.

However, an Egyptian immigrant convicted of indecently assaulting carpet store workers has been allowed to stay in New Zealand.

The tribunal has quashed Marawan Mahmoud Emam Abdrabou's deportation order, despite a 2002 conviction for fondling, groping and thrusting against female carpet shop workers on two occasions. He was sentenced to 350 hours' community service but was close to being jailed after admitting the offences.

Abdrabou acknowledged to the tribunal the gravity of his actions but said cultural issues meant he misread signals from the women and believed they were interested in him.

The main ground for the appeal was he worried about how his two children would adjust if they were forced back to Egypt. He had the support of his wife and assured the tribunal he regretted his actions.

He had undertaken a sexual offenders' programme and believed there was no chance of reoffending. The tribunal agreed his remorse was genuine and that deportation would have a harsh effect on his children.

- NZPA