National to chop family reunification numbers

A National government would take the knife to New Zealand's refugee intake by refusing entry to hundreds more under family reunification rules.

Party leader Don Brash said the move would reduce New Zealand's refugee quota to 750.

At present, about 1050 refugees are accepted each year, including 300 people under the family reunification quota.

Dr Brash said "immigrants must be likely to provide a net benefit to existing New Zealanders".

He called National's approach to immigration "disciplined". Labour was "too lax" and New Zealand First too often appealed to crude prejudice.

Dr Brash also announced yesterday an extension to the benefit stand-down period for new migrants from two years to four and a four-year probation period, during which new migrants must satisfy a good-conduct requirement or risk deportation.

Present policy had failed, he said. Resentment existed, especially against those "who arrive as refugees, go straight on to a benefit and live for years at the expense of the hard-working New Zealand taxpayer", Dr Brash said.

"We do not want those who insist on their right to spit in the street; or demand the right to practise female circumcision; or believe that New Zealand would be a better place if gays and adulterers were stoned. If immigrants don't like the way we do things in New Zealand, then they chose the wrong country to migrate to."

Immigration Minister Paul Swain said for many years there had been a consensus across all Governments to provide a fresh start for refugees who had been in appalling circumstances such as war and famine.

"By also targeting refugees and their families, Don Brash is trying to out-Winston Winston [Peters]."