Because of their links to the father, none of the family can return to their home country. Photo / Alex Burton
Because of their links to the father, none of the family can return to their home country. Photo / Alex Burton
The family of seven had to flee their home country when the father’s life was at risk and feared his family would be in grave danger if they remained.
In New Zealand, the father was granted the status of a protected person, but while his wife and children were allowed to remain, they have only been granted limited purpose visas which had made it difficult for them to find employment or support themselves.
One of the adult children, a 27-year-old man, blamed INZ for putting their lives in limbo and effectively turning them into prisoners in a country they had turned to for refuge.
The Herald cannot reveal the identities of the family or publish details of their case for legal reasons.
Just over three years ago, the man and his wife had a baby born in New Zealand - but their child too is effectively stateless, the man says, and does not have citizenship of any country.
“My daughter was born and raised here in New Zealand, and she still has no papers and technically no country like us, giving me and my wife extreme depression and anxiety,” he said.
INZ has declined to give the family visas that allow them to work. Photo / Alex Burton
Fiona Whiteridge, Immigration NZ’s general manager refugee and migrant services, said the agency appreciates that this was a difficult time for the family.
“[The man] has lodged a residence class visa application, which included a number of family members as secondary applicants,” Whiteridge said.
“Two of the secondary applicants do not meet the dependency requirements due to their age and another secondary applicant is not a biological or adopted dependent of [the person recognised as a protected person].”
Whiteridge said currently the man and his brother hold temporary visas through to 2025.
“The other family members have applied for work visas but do not meet the eligibility requirements. We have granted limited visas valid to 25 May 2023 so the family can remain lawfully within New Zealand while their residence visa application is assessed,” she said.
The man told the Herald he and his family have been under “harsh inhumane scrutiny” by INZ for a number of years, and they cannot take the torture any longer.
“We have faced kidnappings and multiple death threats, and we have been successful in our appeal with the tribunal,” he said.
“But until now, INZ has done nothing to give me and my family a normal and proper life in New Zealand, and not even a proper visa.
“We are continuously given a limited visa which no employers want to take due to the restrictions and anomalies of the visa.”
The man said as a result, some members of his family had suffered serious mental health issues.
They have been unable to secure loans and had to turn to loan sharks to borrow money, and in desperation are signing up for clinical trials as a means to get some income.
“Money is big worry for us as we are unable to work and support ourselves because of the type of visa we’ve been given,” he said.
“We just want to live a normal life without the mental and health torture.”
They had used all their savings to set up two takeaway businesses as no one wanted to employ them, but he said they failed because of the Covid-19 pandemic and their worries about their immigration status.
He believed having a residence visa or citizenship and changing their names will give them the sense of security and safety they need.
The man said they left everything behind when they escaped their previous country, but now their lives are in limbo, and “everything is dark and full of demise”.
“We have not been able to form relationships with anyone from our community and we cannot share our lives with others. We can’t travel, have no passports or nationality, we feel like prisoners,” he said.
“Seeing my father and mother’s lives deteriorating daily is really so painful to watch.”
Whitebridge said INZ are reviewing their case given the unique circumstances of the family and the Immigration and Protection Tribunal’s findings - which the Herald is prohibited from publishing.
“We will continue to keep the family and their immigration representative informed.”
