Action against Immigration New Zealand gathering momentum
The legal action initiated by one of the top legal firms of Auckland D & S law and some other leading lawyers and immigration advisors against Immigration Minister’s decision of lapsing General Visitor Visa application for partners living offshores is now gathering momentum.
An amount of $50k is what needs to be collected within 5 days and a Givealittle page has been launched to raise this money. The page appeals to its prospective donors that at least this much of money is required to fight the legal battle which in fact is a Class Action to help thousands of partners of those living in New Zealand.
Lawyers Pooja Sunder and Stewart Dalley of D&S Law, who came to attend The Indian News organised “a session on immigration’ on Sunday 1st August said that a case has been filed on 22 July for judicial review along with several other lawyers, Immigration advisers and activists to seek fair and just treatment for partners. They appealed everyone to donate generously for a just and rightful humanitarian cause and against the outdated Immigration rules, to reunite broken families. Any legal action is always an expensive affair even if it is done on a reduced fee for the community said D&S Law.
Another Immigration advisor and activist Katy Armstrong said at The Indian News event that the review filed in the High Court is not about one individual, but it impacts all partners who are stuck overseas and can not meet the living together requirement of a partnership.
The Immigration Minister’s two decisions that sparked controversy among migrants was first made on 23 June to continue suspension of the processing of offshore visa applications until 6th February,2022 and second on 7 July where Minister issued instruction to Immigration New Zealand to lapse or return and refund offshore visas, including applications made by the partners of New Zealanders and migrants. The decision of the immigration minister created great turmoil and anxiety among the people affected by this decision.
The Kiwi Indian community is the single biggest migrant community to be hit by governments handling of partnership visa issues when in 2019 Immigration New Zealand started mass cancelling the visa application from their Mumbai office and stopped issuing alternative “general visitor Visa” to partners of New Zealand based applicants.
When ethnic New Zealand media hounded immigration minister about racial comments against Indian community by one of the Ministers, who mocked about Indian marriages, Prime Minister Jacinda had to come forward to clarify that the matter is sorted and the any misconception at immigration about Indian marriages has been fixed. Unfortunately, the partnership visa saga continues and not even the community leaders and different Indian organisations have been much vocal on the issue of governments discriminatory and biased rules about Indian marriages. It appears like this battle is not going to end any sooner. - Yugal Parashar
Link to the Givealittle page :
https://givealittle.co.nz/cause/immigration-legal-action-fund
