The leaders of the Roman Catholic, Anglican and Methodist churches, have issued a statement expressing support a group of students threatened with deportation.
The students who come from India arrived on fraudulent visas.
“Having looked at their situation it seems to us that these students have been duped by unscrupulous immigration agents in India,” Anglican Archbishop Philip Richardson said.
The leaders say the way the New Zealand government handles cases like this appears to be inconsistent.
In the past there have been similar cases where officials deemed immigration agents had falsified documentation and the students were not deported
“We urge the government to re-consider the case of these students,” Cardinal John Dew said
“We do so on the basis of concern for the human situation of the students, our Christian responsibility to care for ‘the stranger, the widow and the orphan’ among us, and a concern for just application of NZ’s immigration policy.”
The Statement is signed by Cardinal John Dew, Catholic Archbishop of Wellington, Archbishop Philip Richardson, Archbishop and Primate of the Anglican Church of Aotearoa New Zealand and Polynesia and Reverend Prince Devandanan President – the Methodist Church of New Zealand.
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