Hon Lianne Dalziel
Minister of Immigration
Enhanced security checks in and outside New Zealand
Improved anti-terrorism and security measures, worth $9.6 million, to strengthen
immigration efforts abroad and in New Zealand are confirmed in Budget 2002.
The measures include:
Funding to implement the Advanced Passenger Processing (APP)
System.
$462,000 a year to pay for 24-hour security at the Mangere Refugee
Resettlement Centre.
Fingerprinting people claiming refugee status after their arrival in New
Zealand. It will cost $151,000 to set up in year one, and $89,000 to
continue operating in out years.
$601,000 a year into community-based accommodation for border
refugee status claimants.
Immigration Minister Lianne Dalziel said the budget confirmed an earlier
announcement that the New Zealand Immigration Service will use the APP
system to identify and screen passengers bound for New Zealand, prior to them
boarding an aircraft.
“In year one, APP will be allocated $1.055 million in operational and $619,000 in
capital funding. Operational funding will be $1.826 in year two, and $1.918 in
year three and outyears. We expect APP to be up and running in 2002-03.
“APP will be an invaluable tool in our ability to scrutinise people before they get
on the plane, which means we can prevent people who are attempting to
circumvent our immigration laws from arriving in New Zealand,” Ms Dalziel said.
“In addition, a fingerprinting system for all people who claim refugee status after
their arrival in New Zealand will be introduced.
“This is a sensible approach as all asylum seekers who claim refugee status at
the border are already routinely fingerprinted. Extending the fingerprinting
system to include those who claim refugee status, sometimes years after their
arrival, will reduce the ability of people to claim more than once under different
identities.
“We are also putting $601,000 into community-based accommodation for border
refugee status claimants. This will provide for a community-based alternative to
detention,” Ms Dalziel said.
For more information please call Juli Clausen (Press Secretary)
04 471 9099 or s 9(2)(a)
