Terry Sarten: Does money make you a Kiwi?

Told to leave -- Sagar Narayan (left) with his father, Lalit.

New Zealand has hit the overseas headlines once again in a way that demonstrates how our government treats the most vulnerable in our country.

Let's look at two immigration cases side by side, and I invite you to decide where social justice fits in these situations and what you would do if you were the Minister for Immigration.

Case One: Sagar Narayan, age 20, has an intellectual disability that means he requires daily care. He lives with his family who manage his day-to-day needs.

They came to Auckland from Fiji eight years ago, and his parents and three siblings have permanent residency. But he has been ordered by NZ Immigration to leave the country and go back to Fiji by October 27 because he will be a burden on our health service.

He has no family there and the Fiji government has made it clear that they cannot provide the care and support he will need.

During the time he has lived in NZ he has been totally supported by his family, never requiring care from government services and never been in hospital. The cost of meeting his needs was assessed as being $16,000 a year as a student at a special school even though he is now beyond the age range for that form of support.

To provide perspective, the Immigration Minister is listed as having spent $13,788 between January and March this year on international travel.

This young man Sagar, with his very high level of disability will be separated from his family to a place where he has no viable support. An Immigration official demonstrated their own diminished intellectual capacity by suggesting he can keep in touch with his family by Skype. Sagar cannot read or write.

This is not the first such case - a Belgian mathematician left New Zealand recently, taking his skills with him after his stepson was declined residency because he has autism. His parent did not want to live in a country that did not respect basic human rights.

Case Two: Peter Thiel, age 50, estimated to be worth US$2.6 billion, was born in Frankfurt, Germany, emigrating as a child to the United States.

He holds citizenship in America, Germany and New Zealand, having bought his NZ citizenship from the government. He did not even come here to get it conferred and never meet the citizenship requirements that every other immigrant must follow.

His citizenship status allowed him to buy land near Queenstown without having to go through the usual overseas purchase process. In essence he was granted citizenship because he had lots of money.

There does not seem to have been any thought given to the future. If he has a serious head injury and, like Sagar, becomes disabled, will we be paying for his care? If he develops Alzheimer's will New Zealand cover his health bills?

Will he receive the NZ pension in a few years' time and, if he goes broke, will he come and live here expecting to receive a benefit and free healthcare?

Apparently, the Immigration Minister - who has the power to exercise decisions - cannot (or will not) rescind Peter Thiel's citizenship, even though it did not meet the basic criteria. Yet Sagar will be deported because he has an intellectual disability.

There is something wrong with this picture. It seems badly tilted towards one rule for some and another rule for others. I thought we were a country that advocates for and supports the vulnerable among us but apparently the government works to a double standard.

*Terry Sarten (aka Tel) is a writer, musician and social worker - feedback: tgs@inspire.net.nz