Hamish McNeilly
Options for streamlining visa applications from Gaza are before Immigration Minister Erica Stanford and Cabinet.
ROBERT KITCHIN / THE POST
FAST FACTS
- MBIE has released documents over the possibility of a special visa for those impacted by Gaza conflict.
- That includes modelling of possible visa numbers.
- One document, which was not released, remains before Cabinet for consideration.
As war raged in Gaza late last year, New Zealand officials investigated a “bespoke pathway” for those impacted, including modelling the number of potential visas.
Documents released to Stuff under the Official Information Act detail advice from the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) over the possibility of a special visa for those caught in the crisis.
The first document was dated December 20, with an official asking “can we also get some lines” regarding policy for Palestinian refugees, particularly those from M5 countries.
Those M5 countries – New Zealand, United States, Canada, Australia, and the United Kingdom – are more commonly known as the “Five Eyes” partners.
“Officials are not aware of any refugee response from M5 countries in response to the Palestine crisis at this time,” a reply from an unnamed government official said.
A pro-Palestine protest at Parliament.
ROBERT KITCHIN / THE POST
New Zealand remained focused on providing humanitarian aid and supporting citizens, permanent family members and dependants to depart Gaza in accordance with established consular policy, the document said.
That came as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (Mfat) advised of a close coordination between M5 countries “in respect of consular responses to this conflict and close alignment in the approach each country is taking”.
It noted that since the conflict started two months prior, Australia had issued temporary visitor visas to Palestinians under their existing visitor category. By December 11, 2023, Australia had approved 2100 temporary visas.
While New Zealand has previously issued targeted response to offshore crisis situations, including the wars in Ukraine and Afghanistan, it did not do so for those impacted by conflict in Sudan, Syria and Myanmar.
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The special temporary visa pathway for Ukraine was established for family members, which led to a residence pathway for those who arrived before March 15 this year.
Meanwhile, Immigration New Zealand (INZ) was “ringfencing all visitor visa applications from nationals of Israel and Palestine for prioritised processing”.
That included a dedicated channel where family members living in New Zealand with immediate families (partners and dependent children) located in Gaza could request prioritisation.
Another memo, on January 9, noted Canada had introduced a temporary visa for extended family members in Gaza of Canadian citizens.
Figures from that same memo, marked “in confidence”, showed INZ had received 189 applications from Israeli nationals (96 approved), and 39 from Palestinian nationals (17 approved).
A February 20 mail, marked “urgent”, requested information for the Immigration Minister on how people could leave Gaza, what other countries were doing, and the latest breakdown of visa approvals and declines.
That email also asked INZ authorities about what familial relationships could be approved (ie adult siblings, parents, cousins), and also requested that an INZ official talk in person with Immigration Minister Erica Stanford.
Erica Stanford makes her way into the House for Question Time.
ROBERT KITCHIN / THE POST
The Minister was advised that if a person held a visa for a foreign country they did not need dual citizenship to leave Gaza. But what they did need was proof of financial means to cover their travel costs, border fees, airfares and accommodation when in Egypt.
Once that proof was received, Mfat would submit relevant names to Israeli, Egyptian, and Qatari authorities.
The advice also noted that there wasn’t a specific refugee resettlement pathway for Palestinians living in the occupied Palestinian territories.
“There are currently practically insurmountable barriers and immense risks to Palestinians leaving the region,” the advice noted.
“In addition resettlement is not a humanitarian measure that is generally supported by Palestinians because it is seen as undermining the prospects of a two-state solution.”
That same advice noted that the majority of the six million Palestinian refugees worldwide were descendants from the refugees from the 1948 Arab-Israeli war.
People attend a rally demanding a ceasefire deal and the immediate release of hostages in Tel Aviv, Israel.
Ariel Schalit / AP
A day after those emails, another request was made by the office of the Immigration Minister seeking a detailed overview of the exact level of assistance needed to support individuals to leave Gaza.
That request also included information on the status of the on-hand applications from people in Gaza, and “modelling of what the numbers could be if a bespoke pathway were to be introduced”.
The information included a request for two senior officials who could speak on Gaza/Palestine in a meeting which could be attended by Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters
An INZ email included details on current applications from Gaza. Of the 11 applications received, five were approved, one declined while five others were awaiting approval. Details on those cases were redacted.
The released emails included the population of Palestinians in New Zealand, but did not include those who arrived prior to 2011, who may now be citizens.
Based on the average rate of arrivals of Palestinian refugees since 2011, which was 35 per year, an estimated 350 people could be added to the current 709, which includes 404 permanent residents and 179 residents.
That would bring the total of number of Palestinians in New Zealand closer to 1000.
That figure was then used by officials for modelling potential visa applications under a streamlined process, with three scenarios used, ranging from an estimate of 1063 people to 3545 people.
Palestinians displaced by the Israeli air and ground offensive on the Gaza Strip flee from Hamad City following an evacuation order.
Abdel Kareem Hana / AP
An INZ aide-mémoire, which was classified as “sensitive” to Stanford and associate Minister of Immigration, Casey Costello, was sent on April 18.
The information included visitor visas and additional options to streamline processing applications from individuals from Gaza.
That memo noted that days earlier officials had met with those from the Palestinian community who were strongly supportive of New Zealand making it easier for people to obtain a visa. That could include waiving the cost of a visa, currently $246.
The memo indicated that those in the community wished to meet the Minister.
“This could be an opportunity to discuss immigration settings with the families impacted by the conflict to support an informed understanding of the factors involved,” the advice from Sam Foley, INZ International and Humanitarian policy manager, said.
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INZ declined to release the last of six documents to Stuff under the OIA.
That document, dated on May 8, involved options tabled ahead of Cabinet discussion. It was withheld from release because “it is currently under active consideration”.
Last month, Stuff reported that the Dunedin City Council considered a notice of motion which acknowledged the local Palestinian community and their efforts to bring family to New Zealand.
The council also called for the establishment of a special visa for family members of the Palestinian community impacted by the war in Gaza.
A request for a meeting was declined by Stanford’s office.
