In Cypris, Francis warned Europe of its indifference to migrants, saying migration issues are something society is getting used to.

He went on to label the indifference "a grave disease for which there is no antibiotic".

The 84-year-old pontiff also said he regretted having to speak about such unpleasant things but added: "It is my responsibility to open eyes."

"Allow ourselves to be drawn into their suffering in order to react to our indifference; let us look at their faces, to awaken us from the sleep of habit", urged Francis.

Some 16,500 km away immigration lawyers and advocates are calling out New Zealand's indifference and its plans to open the border that prioritise tourists over separated Kiwi couples and families.

"We could be looking at well into 2023 until people can get their families into New Zealand", immigration lawyer Nick Mason says.

He cannot understand why tourists are getting priority over New Zealand citizens and their families.

Other advocates say the visa processing policies "continue to marginalise, confuse and discriminate" people.

To 'shake' the New Zealand indifference, some are resorting to legal action.

One man, Michael Witbrock, is taking Immigration Minister Kris Faafoi and MBIE to court over his Chinese husband's 2019 Visa application being suspended.

Witbrock's lawyer, Denis Law partner Pooja Sunder says the decision to suspend applications is "unlawful".

She says it is unfortunate but her client's case is not unique.

"It is definitely representative of so many split families in New Zealand at the moment," Sunder told Mike Hosking on NewsTalk ZB.

"He [Faafoi] failed to consider the international obligations that New Zealand has signed up to ... like family unity, care of the child, the best interests of the child."

"Had he done so, he may have come to a different decision", she said.

Sunder says the New Zealand immigration rules are disproportionately affecting those from specific ethnic groups, gender identity, sexual orientation and religion.

In this regard, she is calling Faafoi's decisions "discriminatory".

Another victim of the policy, New Zealand-born teacher Sandeep Gosai, married in India in January 2020. He came home and his wife was to follow soon after.

"But then Covid hit and then ever since then it's just been a real mission to communicate with the government to get any sort of visa.

"They've just kept saying that when the borders open, they'll think about a visitor visa.

"And for a partnership visa, it's been really difficult because we don't meet the [Immigration Act's] living together requirements."

The government had refused to read a letter setting out their case and breaches of international law, Gosai said.

MBIE's immigration policy manager says no decisions have been made yet on how the final phase of border re-opening will happen.

Source

• RNZ
• France 24
• Newstalk ZB
• Catholic News Service
• Image: Newshub

Although the details are not yet clear, Justice Minister Kris Faafoi has signalled his desire to pass the Conversion Practices Prohibition Legislation Bill before February next year. The bill responds to Labour's election manifesto promise to ban so-called gay conversion therapy, he says.

The bill's supporters include the Salvation Army, the Green Party and the National Party.

Gay conversion therapy involves attempts to change a person's sexual orientation, despite that not being possible.

In expressing its support for the proposed new legislation, the Salvation Army says it "continues to oppose vilification of, or discrimination against, anyone on the grounds of sexuality or gender. This includes attempts to change another person's sexual orientation or gender identity, and any actions which deny a person's sexual orientation or gender identity."

Speaking about his bill, Faafoi said: "This bill isn't about criminalising people. It is about making sure we prevent harm that is happening as a result of these conversion practices."

But asked on Newstalk ZB whether parents could be jailed if they stopped their 12-year-old children from taking hormone-blockers, Faafoi said anyone intentionally changing or suppressing someone's gender identity or sexual orientation could be breaking the law.

At the same time, there would be a "long line" to walk before reaching a criminal offence, he added.

At present, the legal age of consent for hormone treatment is 16.

Radio New Zealand (RNZ) says it understands it will be made an offence to run a conversion therapy practice. Encouraging someone to go to therapy with the intention of changing their sexual identity will also become illegal.

Advising someone to seek religious, medical or mental health support in regards to their sexual orientation, however, will remain legal.

In a statement, the Salvation Army said "Christians are called to be like God and therefore to be living examples of his love in action in the world. ...

"We are told to "Accept one another… just as Christ accepted [us]" (Romans 15.7a), and to be "sympathetic, love one another, [and] be compassionate and humble" in our dealings with others (1 Peter 3.8). We are instructed to clothe ourselves "with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience… And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity." (Colossians 3.12,14).

"The Salvation Army recognises the emotional, psychological, social and spiritual harms that these practices have caused and stands against their use in every circumstance."

Source

• NZ Herald
• Scoop
• RNZ
• Scoop
• Image: Gifsicle

Te Puea Memorial Marae chairman Hurimoana Dennis has named the South Auckland lenders and retail outlets whom he says are most commonly owed money by homeless families coming to the marae for help.

They include KiwiOwn, Cash Converters, UBuy, Red Rat Clothing, G-Mana/Kiwi Auto Finance, Fair Value and Lelei Finance.

The businesses have denied any wrongdoing, saying they lend and sell responsibly.

But Dennis said debt was a problem with each of the 30 homeless families that Te Puea had helped over the past year.

New measures to control businesses offering loans have been recommended by Commerce Minister Kris Fa'afoi, in an MBIE discussion paper reviewing the Credit Contracts and Consumer Finance Act.

The recommendations include increased licensing for money lenders, and introducing "more prescriptive" requirements for affordability assessments.

Fa'afoi said it was becoming clear the 2015 amendments to consumer finance laws didn't go far enough, and it was now time to "finish the job" to protect the most vulnerable.

He said ethical lenders and agencies such as the Salvation Army tried to help people, (but) the laws needed to have the right settings to stop people getting into terrible situations in the first place.

"Ensuring the credit settings are right, so that people can borrow appropriately when they need to but are not dragged into a long-term debt spiral is another way we will ensure all New Zealanders benefit in a strong and inclusive economy."

Source

• nzherald.co.nz
• nzherald.co.nz
• Image: nzherald.co.nz