Immigration NZ apologises for offending Sikh community

President of the New Zealand Central Sikh Association, Daljit Singh, said the Sikh community was very offended when Immigration NZ officials refused to follow religious protocol. Photo / NZME

Immigration New Zealand has apologised for offending the country's Sikh community during a raid on a Hamilton temple, blaming health and safety requirements for the religious transgression.

The NZ Central Sikh Association said immigration officials refused to follow religious protocols when they allegedly forcefully entered the Gurudwara Mata Sahib Kaur Ji temple on Monday.

New Zealand Central Sikh Association represents 70,000 Sikhs in this country.

Immigration NZ staff entered the temple without removing their shoes or covering their heads, having advised temple officials they would needed to keep their shoes on as per standard health and safety requirements.

NZ Central Sikh Association president Daljit Singh said he was visiting another Sikh temple when he received a call from a temple secretary about the offensive faux pas.

Singh said he immediately rang Immigration NZ and the Immigration Minister.

"I told them the community is upset by the officials' actions. We are New Zealand citizens ... It is God's place.

Daljit Singh said Immigration NZ caused offence when executing a search warrant at a temple in Hamilton. Photo / NZME

"We received an apology letter. They came to the same place [yesterday]. They will follow the protocol from now on. We are satisfied with this response," he said.

Singh said Immigration NZ chief executive Carolyn Tremain visited the temple this week to apologise for not following religious protocols when executing a search warrant.

He added that the immigration officials did not find anything at the temple during their search.

In a statement to the Herald on Sunday, Immigration NZ said it was "deeply sorry" but did not indicate the health and safety procedures would change in future.

Karen Bishop, Immigration NZ's general manager verification and compliance, said: "I have spoken with the president of the New Zealand Central Sikh Association to apologise for any offence caused.

"We are deeply sorry for any offence caused during the execution of a search warrant at an address in Hamilton on Monday," she said.

"I have also met with temple officials today to discuss how our compliance teams can engage more effectively with the Sikh community in the future."

It remains unclear what the purpose of the search warrant was and Immigration NZ refused to comment further as investigations were ongoing.

- additional reporting Raphael Franks