Deportation from NZ - in the news

[Song_Si]

^ you appear to know more than the media.
Re defamation - any such case could only be brought by Mr Speed.

He certainly has made a name for himself in his short time in the country; I can't think of anyone I know persoanlly who has managed this in a lifetime, let alone a few years:

... Speed has faced a string of charges.... including assault, intimidation, trespass and disorderly behaviour – most of them were either withdrawn or he was acquitted... alleged by Immigration New Zealand that he had a history of evading police and breaching bail.... pleaded not guilty to charges of criminal harassment and hindering police, which are still pending, and no plea was entered to a charge of driving while disqualified.... At the time of his latest arrest, for shoplifting...

********

Couldn't find a figure for 2011, but as of May 2010 New Zealand Immigration estimated there were 15,880 overstayers in NZ - high I thought for a country with just 4.2million people, so roughly four people in every 1000 are there illegally.

In 2009 502 people were 'removed'; a further 537 were issued with removal orders but had not been deported (at time of report); and 1,163 overstayers left the country voluntarily.

The minister says reducing overstayer numbers is a focus for the Government, but Immigration has other priorities. He denies New Zealand is a soft touch for illegal migrants.

[rapha67]

Yes, I agree only the person concerned can bring a defamation.
"A string of charges" can relate to one incident. Charges that have been withdrawn should never have been referred to.
I just find it strange that someone can be allowed to stay when they have committed serious crimes as listed in the Sunday Star Times on 31/07/2011, compared to someone who has had charges withdrawn or acquitted, which means he is innocent.
I would like to try to understand Immigration's decision processing. It just doesn't make sense. I would be interested to hear their explanation.

[Song_Si]

Deported teacher wants to return to New Zealand
01/08/2011

A former Wellington teacher who has been deported says he was forced to leave a country he loves and considered home.

"I really loved it and I want to come back. I haven't been fairly treated," Dominic Speed, 41, said this week from Britain. "I have made some mistakes but I don't think I deserved what happened. It is a nightmare that this has snowballed."

He has not been in England for eight years and said it was a shock having to return.

Immigration New Zealand deported him after he was dismissed from his job as an accounting and economics teacher at Wellington Girls' College.
It said his ability to stay depended on him having the job.

Mr Speed is fighting his dismissal but the Employment Relations Authority will not hear his case until November. At first, Immigration was willing to let him stay until his employment grievance was decided, but in April it changed its mind.

On July 6 the deportation order was issued and he was arrested the same day accused of shoplifting. Mr Speed denies stealing the $2 item and said he was distracted when he thought he had lost some money.

He admits he can be defensive around police and also argumentative. He let some things slide that he should have attended to but said he has not done anything that justified deportation. Although denied residency for failing to supply information he was asked for, his work permits continued to be extended.

A bad domestic relationship resulted in him being charged with offences. All were dismissed except for two that had yet to be decided.

The college's complaints about him to the Teachers Council were also dismissed. He had expected his teacher practising certificate would be renewed and he could get a new job.

Mr Speed said he thought he had time to work things out with Immigration, and if necessary leave voluntarily to avoid the usual re-entry ban that comes with deportation. A High Court judge who was asked to review the deportation order also wanted him to be allowed to leave voluntarily but found there was no power to allow it.

[springstvl]

I know Dominic Speed. He has been unfairly treated by the Immigration Department. His problems began when his then girlfriend made some false allegations against him. This led to a number (or "a string") of police charges. It also led to him being suspended from his job as a teacher.

The girlfriend's allegations were later shown by the courts to be groundless. In fact, she was shown to be a bit liberal with the truth. Unfortunately, his employer dismissed him. The school must have felt that even though the courts had found no evidence of any wrongdoing on his part, that there is no smoke without fire.

His dismissal from his job led to his deportation. Mr Speed was on a work visa and his visa depended on him having the job at the school.

So basically, an allegation that was proved to be false resulted in him losing his job and this in turn led him to be deported.

I believe that he has been unfairly treated by the authorities and that he has been denied natural justice. This is another example of the Immigration Department over-stepping the mark.

[rapha67]

Thank you @springstvl.
There is documentation that proves the girlfriend's false allegations.
I believe his employer has not seen the documentation and has been adversely influenced by other sources. There's also evidence of incorrect documentation by the police.
There is way more to this case, than I am prepared to comment on at this stage.
Thanks again for supporting supporting Dominic Speed by contributing to this thread.

[Song_Si]

Originally Posted by rapha67

. . . I would be interested to hear their explanation.

but unlikely we ever will.
Immigration New Zealand (INZ) cannot comment on individual immigration cases without due to privacy laws - Mr Speed would need to sign/agree to a privacy waiver allowing them to release their documents to the media.

Further information on the topic: Immigration Act 2009: Deportation - factsheet

[rapha67]

I meant in general, referring to their policies and decision making in general, rather than for specific cases....
I don't suppose the Official Information Act covers release of information from individual Immigration case files to the media. Since a deported person can't request that information under the terms of the Privacy Act, Immigration are safe from scrutiny....

[Song_Si]

Kiwis asked to help free sick Colombian woman
ANTONIO BRADLEY
06/08/2011



Good Samaritans have offered to open their homes to a sick Columbian woman who was imprisoned after she came to New Zealand to help her deformed son.

Maria Oliva Rosas Peralta, 64, will spend at least four months in jail - unless somebody lets her serve home detention at their house.

Two families contacted the Dominion Post today offering to help Rosas Peralta - one from Whanganui and one from Auckland - saying her story broke their hearts.

Rosas Peralta used a fake passport to enter New Zealand in May so she could scrub floors to fund an operation for her 10-year-old son, who cannot walk properly because he has a deformed leg. She was told New Zealand was "the land of milk and honey".

Since being arrested on June 2 with fellow Colombian John Gerardo Medina Fuentes, 33, she has been unable to contact her family.

She cannot speak English, and has spent her time in Tawa's Arohata Prison in self-imposed solitary confinement, depressed and suffering from kidney stones, her lawyer says.

Yesterday, both Colombians were sentenced to nine months' jail for possessing and using fake passports. They were expected to spend half that time in prison and deported when they are freed.

But if the offer of a home comes through to either of them, they could be granted home detention and would have to spend only about two weeks in that home before deportation could be organised.

*****

She and Medina Fuentes paid US$2000 each to buy fake Spanish passports in Peru, where they met for the first time, and flew to New Zealand in May.

They were given three-month visitor visas, but tried to leave for Australia after three weeks when they could not find work. They were arrested at Wellington International Airport after admitting their passports were fake.

more

[Song_Si]

re earlier posts, almost a year later, this is perhaps the last word on Dominic Speed the deported British school teacher

Deported teacher's employment claim thrown out
A former Wellington teacher who was deported has had his claim for unjustifiable dismissal thrown out by the employment relations authority.

. . . . Mr Wood said the school had acted properly in dismissing Mr Speed over the failure to hold a practising certificate, as this was a ''straightforward procedure''.

more

Is her deformed son getting surgery and help in NZ? Does it have better medical than Peru? Is there a picture of him?

Originally Posted by Song_Si

Kiwis asked to help free sick Colombian woman
ANTONIO BRADLEY
06/08/2011



Good Samaritans have offered to open their homes to a sick Columbian woman who was imprisoned after she came to New Zealand to help her deformed son.

Maria Oliva Rosas Peralta, 64, will spend at least four months in jail - unless somebody lets her serve home detention at their house.

Two families contacted the Dominion Post today offering to help Rosas Peralta - one from Whanganui and one from Auckland - saying her story broke their hearts.

Rosas Peralta used a fake passport to enter New Zealand in May so she could scrub floors to fund an operation for her 10-year-old son, who cannot walk properly because he has a deformed leg. She was told New Zealand was "the land of milk and honey".

Since being arrested on June 2 with fellow Colombian John Gerardo Medina Fuentes, 33, she has been unable to contact her family.

She cannot speak English, and has spent her time in Tawa's Arohata Prison in self-imposed solitary confinement, depressed and suffering from kidney stones, her lawyer says.

Yesterday, both Colombians were sentenced to nine months' jail for possessing and using fake passports. They were expected to spend half that time in prison and deported when they are freed.

But if the offer of a home comes through to either of them, they could be granted home detention and would have to spend only about two weeks in that home before deportation could be organised.

*****

She and Medina Fuentes paid US$2000 each to buy fake Spanish passports in Peru, where they met for the first time, and flew to New Zealand in May.

They were given three-month visitor visas, but tried to leave for Australia after three weeks when they could not find work. They were arrested at Wellington International Airport after admitting their passports were fake.

more