Visas to stay for Samoans

By HELEN TUNNAH at the Forum

Prime Minister Helen Clark has indicated Samoans will continue to be denied visa-free access to New Zealand because of the number of overstayers.

She made her comments in Apia yesterday, as local media reported that today's planned march through Samoa's capital highlighting citizenship issues had been banned amid security fears for Helen Clark and the New Zealand delegation.

The cancelled march had been expected to attract thousands of Samoans protesting over the Muldoon Government's 1982 Citizenship (Western Samoa) Act, which struck out a Privy Council ruling affording automatic New Zealand citizenship rights to many Samoans.

Two previous marches have each attracted around 3000 people and have been trouble-free.

Helen Clark met Samoa's Prime Minister, Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi, yesterday, and emerged saying that although immigration had been discussed she had not asked for the march to be stopped.

"We haven't made any request to the Samoan Government to cancel the march. That's entirely their decision. I really have no reaction."

March leaders were upset that security was the reason given by police for stopping the protest, as the 16 Pacific Islands Forum leaders arrived in Apia for last night's official opening and two-day summit.

It was considered more likely the march was refused a police permit to avoid embarrassing Helen Clark and her Government.

Helen Clark said the Government would respond this month to a parliamentary select committee's call to review the 1962 Treaty of Friendship between the two countries, made after it rejected a 100,000-signature petition calling for the 1982 act to be repealed.

But in the meantime she has effectively ruled out the same visa-free entry to New Zealand for Samoans as is enjoyed by people from other countries, such as Australia. "That has been tried before, with unfortunately poor results.

"New Zealand has visa-free arrangements with a range of countries. But where we have issues of overstay, we don't have those arrangements."

Immigration Service figures suggest there are 3900 Samoan overstayers in New Zealand, more than from any other nation.

Where New Zealand might make concessions is in the quota area. At the moment 1100 Samoans can come into New Zealand each year and Helen Clark said yesterday officials might make improved efforts to match work with applicants to ensure the quota is filled each year.

She had a range of meetings with Pacific leaders yesterday, including French Polynesia's long-time independence campaigner Oscar Temaru. His country has been admitted to the forum as an observer for the first time, and the Prime Minister said she had invited him to New Zealand.

The leaders will move into a one-day closed-door retreat today, where they are expected to focus on secretary-general Greg Urwin's strategy for enhancing regional co-operation.


FORUM AGENDA

* The economic collapse of Nauru.

* How to implement a regional strategy on HIV/Aids.

* The impact of rising fuel costs on small isolated members.

* Implementing customs and border controls to meet foreign security demands.

* Hopes of Fiji, Samoa and Tonga to strengthen their rugby finances.