Government to sort out quota for Samoa

By RUTH BERRY political reporter

The Government is promising to improve the management of the Samoan immigration quota system as part of a review of the 1962 Treaty of Friendship between the two countries.

The review follows a select committee rejection of a 100,000-strong petition calling for the repeal of the Citizenship (Western Samoa) Act 1982.

The act was rushed through by then Prime Minister Robert Muldoon after a Privy Council ruling granting citizenship to all Samoans born between 1924 and 1948 - when Samoa was under New Zealand administration - and their children.

The Government has repeatedly said it has no plans to repeal the act and the committee's finding will come as little surprise to petitioners.

But Foreign Affairs Minister Phil Goff said the Government would act on the committee's recommendation to revisit and update the 1962 treaty.

Samoan Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi made it clear in 2002, when accepting Helen Clark's apology in Apia for events which had occurred during New Zealand's administration, that a review was timely.

Mr Goff said he and Helen Clark would discuss the review with the Samoan Government when in Apia for this year's Pacific Islands Forum.

An aspect of the agreement needing improvement was the quota system enabling 1100 people from Samoa to gain New Zealand residency each year.

Problems in the way the system was operating meant only a third of the quota was typically filled. Job offers were required to get residency.

"But a lot of the job offers that had been put forward were phoney and there were people [immigration consultants] that were exploiting the system in New Zealand."

The checking process took about three months, by which time many of the genuine offers had expired.

Mr Goff said the Government was investigating ways to streamline the process to ensure the quota was filled.

It was likely to involve helping to connect jobseekers in Samoa with employers here looking for workers.

Asked if the quota size might be changed, he said there was no point in considering it while the existing one remain unfilled.

Former National MP Arthur Anae spearheaded the petition, but said it had been one way of increasing dialogue.

The sense of grievance felt by the Samoan community could be resolved in other ways.

Pacific MP Winnie Laban said it was important that members of New Zealand's Samoan community got involved in the review, and did not leave it to the two Governments.

Treaty of Friendship

* The 1962 treaty between New Zealand and Samoa was signed when the islands became the first Polynesian nation to re-establish independence in the 20th century.

* Samoa has informal defence ties with New Zealand, which is required under the treaty to consider any Samoan request for assistance.

* The quota allowing a set number of Samoans New Zealand residency flows from the treaty.