Official's role at overstayer meeting 'concerning'

Members of the local Tongan community are concerned that a Labour Party official being investigated for immigration irregularities is fronting an immigration meeting for overstayers in the community.

Immigration New Zealand says it is investigating Semisi Faka'osikimuli, secretary of the Labour Party's Tongan branch, but that it is continuing to work with Mr Faka'osikimuli in his capacity as a Tongan representative on Manukau City Council's Pacific Island advisory committee.

"We have deep concerns about Semisi leading and organising such a meeting while he is the subject of an investigation by Immigration New Zealand," said Melino Maka, chairman of the Tongan Advisory Council.

"Semisi's involvement at this time is not appropriate, and people attending could have felt unable to speak freely about fraud issues."

An Immigration spokesman said last Monday's meeting at the Latofale'ia Tongan Methodist Hall in Mangere was part of an ongoing initiative to enable people to meet Immigration officials in a safe environment without fear of compliance or removal action to discuss immigration matters.

He said: "In arranging this particular clinic, Immigration New Zealand worked with the Tongan representatives on the Manukau City Council Pacific Island advisory committee, [which was] identified as the appropriate group to engage the South Auckland Tongan community. Mr Faka'osikimuli is one of three Tongan representatives elected to the committee."

Mele Sika, a former client of Mr Faka'osikimuli who had filed a report against him to Immigration, said she was shocked that Mr Faka'osikimuli could continue to front immigration meetings.

"Many in our community are very simple people, and they will interpret seeing Semisi speaking at a public meeting as meaning that he has been cleared of any wrongdoing."

Ms Sika, 35, of Mangere, had reported that despite paying Mr Faka'osikimuli $10,000, he failed to file her residency papers which turned her into an illegal overstayer.

"My three children had to stop schooling, I lost my job, and my whole world turned upside down," she said.

Immigration New Zealand would not comment further while the investigation was going on.