While much has recently been made of our borders finally reopening and being able to welcome visitors back to New Zealand, spare a thought for the many New Zealanders who have not been able to take part due to our shameful refusal to let people from non-visa waiver countries enter.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!667,000 New Zealanders were born in non-visa waiver countries, that’s 14 per cent of our population unable to welcome their loved ones to New Zealand by virtue of being born in India, Sri Lanka or China.
Shutting ourselves off like this goes against the Kiwi way of life. We’re an island nation of immigrants and it is the infusion of new people and new ideas that allows us to punch above our weight in many areas. It would be a tragedy if people decided to leave, or not come here in the first place, because of our shut off border.
Now the Government has announced that visitors from non-visa waiver countries will be able to apply to return, but not until July.
The announcement from the Government should have been simple and portray one message – we’re moving on from COVID and everyone is welcome back to New Zealand.
Instead as far as this Government is concerned if you happen to be from India, Sri Lanka or China, you can’t apply until July. Considering the current processing times from Immigration NZ, there’s a possibility you might not get into the country this side of Christmas.
ACT has called on the Government to move on from border restrictions and open the country back up to everyone, it’s the right thing to do.
My inbox has been flooded with correspondence from great people who have come from non-visa waiver countries to make New Zealand their home and have suffered immense personal sacrifice due to the continued closing of the border. It is emotional and disappointing to read stories of people not being able to farewell dying loved ones, attend weddings, witness births. We need to do better as a nation and look after those who have come here for a shot at a better life. My heart goes out to all that have been affected.
Throughout COVID our border restrictions have earned us a global reputation as a “hermit kingdom”, it’s hard to see us shaking that tag when we still persist with shutting communities out with no explanation why they’re not allowed and when they can come in.
Stuart Nash has described this past week as our “reconnection with the world”, but I challenge him that it is not a true reconnection until all New Zealanders can welcome friends and family to our nation.
ACT has long called for more balance in our response to COVID. We acknowledge the risk that COVID brings, but at what point do restrictions become more damaging than the virus itself? The Government has consistently failed to weigh up the costs of these decisions and act in the best interests of Kiwis.
ACT will keep challenging the Government to open our borders to the rest of the world. No one wins in a hermit kingdom and we owe it to our multicultural society to open up to everyone, regardless of where they were born. – David Seymour MP, ACT party leader.