[giving way today to a first person account by kabayan Maricel Weischede on how one of our kabayan, Jeffrey Santos and his family, were saved from deportation. As most of us know, since this was posted on Maricel’s Facebook page, events have happily overtaken us (spoiler alert). All is well. Cheers, maligayang pasko at mabuhay tayong lahat! ]
AS WE ALL get busy with the last minute Christmas shopping, preparing for our Noche Buena and Christmas lunches, one family is grieving and will take the longest flight back home to the Philippines.
Jeffrey (Santos) had previous representation for his fight against deportation, in front of INZ or Immigration New Zealand (thought the GRR process) and later on before the Immigration Protection Tribunal.
I took over the case as prompted by community leaders Mikee Santos and others.
I represented the family and lodged a request for Special Direction to Associate Minister of Immigration Phil Twyford who declined the request, a day after the announcement of the One-Off Residence Visa.
Then, my comrades and I sought the help of MP Ricardo Menendez March who also wrote to supplement the special request.
On the same day that Ricardo submitted his letter, I’ve lodged the second request for Special Direction before the Minister of Immigration Kris Faafoi who after three days decided that it will not intervene in the case.
The family is leaving New Zealand on Christmas Day. How can New Zealand allow this to happen?
My heart is bleeding even more as a couple of days ago, I saw the news about the “Wanaka” couple who got away with the conviction and was asked to pay $700 for breaching COVID19 restrictions.
***** ***** *****
I know what (Jeffrey) did was wrong. He was desperate at that time as his income was halved during the March / April 2020 lockdown. He claimed food vouchers which he shared among his friends and colleagues. At that time, migrant workers who were affected did not get any help. It was only in August 2020 that the Government recognised the need to help them.
However, none of the explanations were heard. No compassion. No kindness. Despite the fact that at the onset, the pandemic caused so much uncertainty, for both employers and employees. He had repaid the whole $1600 and the chance of reoffending is low given the humiliation and learnings from this horrific incident.
His story appears again today (in the news) and I can’t help but talk about the unfairness of life. It is hard to be poor. The system clearly favours those who have connections.
My comrades and I are seeking your help. Perhaps if we can all call on the Minister to finally intervene and give this family a reprieve?
Maricel Weischede
Indeed, it is hard to be poor. It is heart-wrenching to hear a family to be sent home on unlikely day – Christmas day. If there is plenty of time, a signature campaign might bring a different outcome. But we are in this country where rule of law governs so I wouldn’t be surprised to see the same result at the end. However, in my more than a decade of living in this country, I’ve seen many instances where NZ enforce law with compassion if the affected party, rich or poor, could prove that they and their families especially children would be placed in a great disadvantage or danger if deported. I saw the news today and from what I understand he failed to prove that this is the case.