Puzzling tale by stowaways

Authorities are investigating claims by three stowaways that up to nine others arrived in NZ with them. ANGELA GREGORY reports.

Three stowaways who claim to have jumped ship with up to nine other illegal immigrants at Napier to seek asylum in New Zealand will be interviewed by the border and investigations branch of the Immigration Service.

The three asylum seekers, represented by Auckland lawyer Roger Chambers, say they sneaked into New Zealand last month off a container ship.

Mr Chambers said his clients, from the Indian subcontinent, claimed they had departed from Indonesia with the help of a people smuggler.

The Immigration Service would first assess how they entered the country, followed by a separate process to deal with their applications for refugee status, he said.

"They have all been consistent about how they got here," said Mr Chambers. "They made their way to Indonesia independently and were then gathered up by the agent. They got on a fishing boat for about 12 hours and were then transferred to a ship in darkness ... I have no reason to doubt them."

Mr Chambers said it was not that difficult to get on container ships at anchor by climbing ropes and hiding below deck with the help of crew.

When they arrived in New Zealand it did not take asylum seekers long to find fellow countrymen to help them.

Mr Chambers could only speculate why the three jumped ship at Napier, but noted that a relatively large number of people originally from the Indian subcontinent lived in the Hawkes Bay.

Many had come to New Zealand years ago as labourers.

Mr Chambers understood at least some of the 10 to 12 stowaways were from the Middle East.

"It might also be that the crew members thought the harbour security elsewhere might have been a bit steep ... I don't know."

A Malaysian-owned ship berthed in Napier, after earlier stops including Auckland, Lyttelton and Wellington, about the time the three stowaways said they came ashore.

Mr Chambers said one of the men told him he had spent the equivalent of about $NZ18,000 to escape his country.

"These people are desperate. They will try anything."

Mr Chambers, who specialises in immigration work, said stowaway cases were not that unusual in New Zealand.

"People have been arriving to New Zealand as stowaways as long as ships have been coming here."

He had dealt with well over 20 ship stowaways in the past five years, including a group that jumped off at Auckland four years ago.

Mr Chambers said the illegal method of entry did not have a negative impact on their applications for refugee status, with most successful.

The three who arrived in Napier seemed to have a good case, he said.

To gain refugee status they had to show they had been persecuted for reasons of race, religion, political opinion, nationality or social grouping, and were either unable or unwilling to return to their country.

Mr Chambers expected the number of ship stowaways would rise.

Most illegal immigrants flew into New Zealand using false travel documents, but airlines were getting much more stringent.

Immigration Minister Lianne Dalziel said she had no evidence that there had been an increase in people breaching border security.

Ms Dalziel said asylum seekers often made up stories and the latest allegations raised too many unanswered questions, like the whereabouts of the rest of the group.

There was no evidence to indicate the claims were true.

"If they are I would want the shipping company involved approached."

Ms Dalziel said it would be a major concern if a shipping company had involved itself with people smuggling.

When 13 African stowaways attempted to enter New Zealand illegally a few years ago they were discovered by the ship crew who forewarned the authorities.

Ms Dalziel understood most if not all of the Africans had since been deported.

National Party immigration spokeswoman Marie Hasler said if the information was correct it showed "quite a big" breach of border controls.

"If the Government is serious about the war on terrorism it must tighten border security."

Marie Hasler said New Zealand was seen as a haven for illegal migrants and needed to send out messages to deter them.