June 17, 2024
Luxon counts on “common sense” to stem 501 flow
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Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says he has an assurance from his Australian counterpart a common sense approach will apply to 501 deportations – but he still deeply concerned at a switch in its visa policy.
After lobbying from then-prime minister Jacinda Ardern, Anthony Albanese agreed a person’s ties to Australia should be a primary consideration in weighing up whether to deport them.
Under pressure from its political opponents, the Albanese government now says the safety of the Australian community is the highest priority.
Mr Luxon says both he and Foreign Minister Winston Peters have raised their concerns, and they will be monitoring the impact of the new directive.
“Prime Minister Albanese has also assured me a common sense approach will continue to apply so a lot of this will be about the interpretation of the directive and the execution of the directive,” he says.
Prime Minister Luxon it’s not right that people with no connection to New Zealand apart from being born here get deported here.