KEY POINTS:
Immigration Minister David Cunliffe says an Iranian hunger striker has had his full rights under the law over his claim for refugee status.
Mr Cunliffe, citing privacy, will not say if he will consider granting Iranian Ali Panah a temporary visa.
But the minister has also said the law over the way travel documents for Iranians are handled should be changed.
Mr Panah is on day 33 of a hunger strike, and is said to be weak, emaciated and confused at Auckland Hospital. The group Global Peace and Justice Auckland has emailed MPs to get Mr Cunliffe to issue a temporary visa so Mr Panah can stay in New Zealand until he feels it is safe for him to return to Iran.
Mr Panah was rushed from Mt Eden Prison to hospital mid-last week.
He has been detained for 18 months for refusing to sign papers that could lead to his deportation.
Mr Panah says his life will be in danger if he returns to Iran, because he converted to Christianity before he arrived in New Zealand.
Green MP Keith Locke said Mr Panah's condition was distressing. "He apologised for not being able to sit up to greet me. He is clearly suffering."
Mr Locke said he was writing to Mr Cunliffe asking him to grant a humanitarian dispensation in Mr Panah's case.
"There are a lot of points in Mr Panah's favour.
"He has not committed any crime, and is highly commended by his former employer Bruce Keane," Mr Locke said.
Mr Cunliffe yesterday said he was "pretty limited to what I can say in the public domain".
He said Mr Panah had had "the full rights of the law in respect of his refugee claim and appeal".
It was not a simple issue "much as we're sympathetic to the individual".
Mr Cunliffe also said there was a policy issue to be considered.
"There is only one country in the world where this particular problem occurs and that is with Iran because it is the only country that requires an outgoing individual to sign a travel document themselves.
"That gives the individual the opportunity to withhold their signature if they don't wish to leave the country.
"Now, people in that situation of course have the right to leave New Zealand at any time by signing such a document."
Mr Cunliffe said he had met the ambassador from Iran and his officials were working with Iranian officials "to find a way through this issue".
"It is something that we believe would be a very good thing to resolve and it would certainly put our relationship with the Iranians on a much better footing if it were resolved."
He was keen for that to happen as soon as possible but said the solution was largely in Iran's hands.
- NZPA
