Pacific Neighbours Seek Fair Go: Petition Calls for Easier Access to Aotearoa
A significant petition, gathering over 48,000 signatures, is pushing for New Zealand to grant Pacific nations the same travel freedoms enjoyed by many other countries. The proposal aims to allow citizens from Fiji, Samoa, the Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu access to an Electronic Travel Authority (NZeTA), a system that permits visa-free entry for up to three months at a time and multiple entries for up to two years. Proponents argue this would be a more affordable and streamlined way for Pacific peoples to visit Aotearoa.
While the idea has garnered broad sympathy across the political spectrum, the looming general election casts a shadow over its immediate progress. Discussions are underway, but the path forward remains uncertain, with some parties also voicing concerns about potential overstayers.
A Petition for Equality
The petition, handed to NZ First leader Winston Peters on a Wednesday, was delivered by former MP Arthur Anae, who holds the distinction of being National’s first Pacific MP. Anae’s efforts highlight a perceived disparity, with Pacific islanders currently facing a more complex and costly application process compared to citizens of over 60 other nations. The NZeTA, currently available to many nationalities, offers a simpler and more cost-effective gateway to New Zealand.
Winston Peters, representing NZ First, has publicly stated his party’s support for the petition. He indicated a commitment to working with coalition partners to advance the proposal before the election. However, he acknowledged that discussions with coalition partners National and ACT had not yet taken place in Cabinet, having only just received the petition. Peters did confirm he had already engaged with Immigration Minister Erica Stanford, expressing NZ First’s dissatisfaction with the current system and a desire to collaborate on a solution.
“We let her know that we’re not happy and want to work with her on it, but we also sympathise with her inheriting a very difficult department,” Peters commented. He expressed hope for a resolution based on common sense and fairness, stating, “we support the parts that can be produced. I mean, we’ve got problems here because you’ve got distance, time and all those things, but all the Pacific people want is a fair go, equivalent to what other nations are getting, and they’re not getting it.”
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon confirmed that the government would accept the petition, and it would undergo further consideration following its review by the Petitions Select Committee. Immigration Minister Erica Stanford indicated that the matter was on her agenda for review once the petitions committee had completed its assessment.
“We’ve had a huge work programme with a number of things we’ve had to tackle, like migrant exploitation and numbers of people in the country coming into the country was, like, 135,000 net,” Stanford explained, referencing the significant immigration figures the department has been managing. She also pointed out that some measures are already in place to facilitate faster visa processing for Pacific countries.
“Currently our visitor visa processing time is eight days for the Pacific, and if they have an emergency, then there is an escalation process, and we do those far more quickly. There’s anecdotal stories, but overall we do an exceptionally good job for our Pacific neighbours.”
However, Arthur Anae has previously voiced strong criticisms, telling Checkpoint that the current system, which requires a fee and an application regardless of circumstances, amounts to discrimination. “It is the New Zealand Immigration Office and the minister responsible who doesn’t give a damn about us,” he stated.
Concerns and Considerations
ACT leader David Seymour expressed some sympathy for the petition’s aims but also raised concerns about the potential for overstayers. “I’ve had people in the Pacific community approach me and say ‘look, why are we different, why can’t we come’ – on the other hand, you need to be sure that people who get these privileges are going to return. If a country has much lower incomes than New Zealand, there’s a big incentive for people to come and not go home. That’s why we check them with visas.”
When questioned about why similar concerns didn’t seem to apply to US citizens, who are estimated to be a significant group of overstayers, Seymour suggested this might warrant further examination. “On the other hand, you might ask yourself what’s the rate? They’re the fourth most populous country on Earth, so I wouldn’t be surprised if there was high absolute number – but they’re actually, as I understand it, one of the greatest sources of tourists in New Zealand.”
Winston Peters addressed these concerns, noting that Pacific countries themselves are keen to avoid depopulation due to carelessness. He proposed a “Pacific cousins approach,” suggesting a cultural shift where elders in the Pacific nations would impress upon individuals the importance of adhering to the terms of their visits. “It’s a new psychological approach – we’re going to ensure that before they leave the countries of the origin in the Pacific their elders will be telling them ‘you foul up, you ruin it for the rest of us’.” He expressed confidence in securing support from his coalition partners, hinting that public opinion might sway their decisions if they were initially hesitant. “It’ll take a while, but we’ll not let up until we’ve been successful.”
Labour leader Chris Hipkins indicated his party’s strong sympathy for the petition, though he noted that Labour was still finalising its immigration policy. He pledged that Labour would support a member’s bill to at least its first reading if NZ First failed to secure coalition support. “This is certainly something we need to look at as a country,” Hipkins said, adding, “we want to work through the detail of making sure that we could actually deliver on that commitment.” He also suggested that concerns about overstayers were a relic of the past, stating, “we want to work through the detail of making sure that we could actually deliver on that commitment.”
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson expressed skepticism about Winston Peters’ commitment, positioning the Greens as the only party unequivocally supporting increased access for Pacific nations. “We, I think, are the only political party who are actually going to support more access across our nations and Pacific cousins. I’d like to see all the other parties step up,” she urged, adding that NZ First “need to be held to account to actually support it.” Co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick echoed this sentiment, calling Peters’ pre-election commitment “interesting” and questioning his follow-through: “When it comes to actually walking the talk, yeah, where’s Winston?”
