KEY POINTS:
A review into Immigration New Zealand's Pacific division follows two previous investigations into the unit in the past two years which found problems which were never released and had not been fully acted on.
Department of Labour chief executive Christopher Blake has begun an independent review - understood to be by Ernst and Young - of the Pacific division, which was set up in January 2005 after ongoing concerns about it.
The terms of reference for the review reveal the division has already been the subject of two reviews in the past two years, including an internal review in late 2005.
This was less than a year after the division was established and followed 10 cases of misconduct by staff within its first six months, eight of which were by staff in Pacific Island-based offices.
After the first review, the division was restructured so residency applications were no longer decided in overseas offices.
There was a further review in 2006 by PricewaterhouseCooper which described the systems and responsibilities of the division as "loose" and recommended changes be made to ensure it was more effective.
However, the recommended changes in this report were never made, despite former Justice Secretary David Oughton again raising concerns in 2007 after he investigated residencies given to family members of former immigration boss Mary Anne Thompson.
His report recommended more in-depth investigation into staff concerns about decisions being made which were contrary to immigration policy.
Although the number of cases of staff misconduct have decreased from 10 in its first six months to three in the 2006/07 financial year, the Pacific division has continued to attract criticism for its decisions.
This includes a scathing report from the Residency Review Board which overturned more Pacific division decisions than any other branch.
There have been 14 staff members involved in 19 cases of misconduct in the division over its first three years of operation, compared with 87 cases over the immigration service as a whole. Six of the 14 staff were dismissed.
The Pacific division has been at the centre of the storm about residencies granted in 2005 to family members of Ms Thompson.
The 2007 report by Mr Oughton found the residencies were given outside normal policies under orders of a staff member who was acting outside her authority. Ms Thompson had signed the application forms, but was cleared in the Oughton report of trying to influence the decision.
FOR THE RECORD
Cases of staff misconduct in Immigration NZ's Pacific division, including bribery, theft, serious misconduct:
2004/05: 10 - including eight from overseas offices.
2005/06: Six - including five in overseas offices.
2006/07: Three - including two overseas.
