Peters pushes tougher immigration security checks

6.30pm

New Zealand First wants immigration officials to check on recent immigrants to see none poses a direct threat to New Zealand security.

NZ First leader Winston Peters indicated today he planned to use his position on a parliamentary committee overseeing the country's intelligence service to push immigration security issues.

Mr Peters was recently appointed to the committee comprised of Prime Minister Helen Clark, Deputy Prime Minister Michael Cullen, senior government minister Jim Anderton and Opposition leader Bill English.

In a speech in Tauranga, Mr Peters today said there was a limit to what he could say publicly about intelligence issues but NZ First would spend extra on border security as more, qualified people were needed at airports and ports.

"New Zealand First will be seeking to increase border security by the appointment of more immigration staff we can trust and who are fluent in the languages of the countries from which we accept migrants, refugees or asylum seekers."

NZ First also wanted increased powers for immigration officials to question, detain or deport anyone with links to any organisation that could threaten New Zealand's security.

"There would be no automatic right of appeal. There would be no social welfare benefit."

His party wanted immigration officials "to start checking back on" some of the people brought into the country over the past few years.

"How do we know that we have not already imported someone who is a direct threat to our security?"

He harked back to the about 150 Tampa refugees New Zealand accepted.

The mainly Afghan refugees were among more than 400 asylum seekers who were picked up by the Norwegian freighter when their boat sank.

"By the time we inherit all their family members there will be more than a thousand of them.

"Who is carrying out the strict checks on these people to see we are not importing someone who could prove a danger to our people?"

Mr Peters also said his party was being "swamped" with immigration issues and reports of fraudulent activity since it made immigration the "centrepiece" of its election campaign.

His party had written a letter to the Government asking that a full-time senior Immigration Service official be seconded to its office to handle some of the immigration cases.

"Our staff cannot cope with matters that the Government has a whole department to handle," he said.

- NZPA