Immigration service admits deported girl was handcuffed

Immigration officials are red-faced again after admitting they gave the media false information when they denied a deported Sri Lankan teenager had been handcuffed.

In a letter of apology to the New Zealand Press Association yesterday, New Zealand Immigration Service (NZIS) general manager Andrew Lockhart said the department's earlier claim that the young woman was not handcuffed or restrained at any stage during the flight was wrong.

"Last Saturday it came to my attention that handcuffs were in fact used as part of the transport belt used to restrain the young woman," he said.

The 16-year-old was restrained for about 30 minutes after take off from Auckland on February 12 on the authorisation of the police escort, he said.

The initial information given to NZPA by the Immigration Service was incorrect because staff were relying on initial accounts from airport police.

NZIS staff were told that a "G" transport belt device was used but no mention was made of handcuffs.

A "subsequent and fuller account" from the police escorts revealed that separate sets of handcuffs were used "in a way that provided the maximum freedom given the circumstances".

"She was restrained because the police escorts believed she would either seriously harm herself, other passengers or themselves during her removal," Mr Lockhart said.

The case has resulted in the forced resignation of Immigration Minister Lianne Dalziel after it was revealed she had lied to NZPA about leaking a confidential letter from the young woman's lawyer to the media.

Prime Minister Helen Clark has ordered an independent inquiry into how the letter came into Ms Dalziel's possession, and whether the Immigration Service or Parliamentary Service employees were involved in leaking it.

The high-profile case follows NZIS embarrassment over a leaked memo regarding Algerian asylum-seeker Ahmed Zaoui.

The memo written by then communications manager Ian Smith, which was then leaked, claimed there was a conspiracy within the Immigration Service to "lie in unison".

Last month, Ombudsman Mel Smith released a damning report that said while there was no evidence of a conspiracy, Mr Smith and another official had withheld information and given "unreliable" evidence in the investigation.

- NZPA