12 March 2024
Wendy Yang
[FYI request #25751 email]
File No: DOIA 2324-1756
Tēnā koe Wendy,
I refer to your request under the Official Information Act 1982 (the Act) received on 16 February
2024 requesting the following information from the Ministry of Business, Innovation and
Employment (Ministry):
“Could you please provide information on how the Risk Targeting Programme (RTP) team
assesses passengers for risk and what the process is once a passenger is identified to be at
risk?
Additionally, could you provide data on the number of temporary visas of various categories
that were denied boarding for travel to New Zealand each month between 2022 and 2024,
as wel as data specifically for passengers departing from China?”
Our Response
Could you please provide information on how the Risk Targeting Programme (RTP) team assesses
passengers for risk and what the process is once a passenger is identified to be at risk?
The part of your request relating to how the Risk Targeting Programme (RTP) team assesses
passengers for risk is refused under section 6(c) of the Act, as releasing this information would
prejudice the maintenance of the law.
The part of your request about what the process is once a passenger is identified to be at risk is
answered below.
At the time of checking in, the Immigration New Zealand’s Advance Passenger Processing (APP)
system validates their entitlement to travel to or through New Zealand. Passenger information
entered into airlines’ systems is screened against Immigration New Zealand’s database at time of
check in. The airline receives a boarding directive – ‘Okay to Board/Board with Outward Ticket’ or
‘Do Not Board’ – for that passenger.
Immigration Border Officers may also intervene where a passenger is identified as being a possible
risk by the Risk Targeting Programme (RTP) team based at Auckland International airport. The RTP
team profiles and identifies risk passengers by analysing information through the airline reservation
system as people start checking in for their flights. This advance information enables early
intervention with high-risk passengers. When a risk passenger is identified, the Risk Targeting team
contacts the Airline Liaison Officer if there is one at that location, or airline ground staff, to intercept
the passenger.
The travel document wil be examined, and the passenger interviewed. This may include a telephone
interview of the passenger by the Risk Targeting team. Those found not to be bona fide, or genuine
passengers will not be allowed to board their flight.
The main reasons people are denied boarding include:
• An alert being recorded against their name/passport number
• The passenger requiring a visa to travel to New Zealand but not holding one or the visa has
expired or been used
• The passport presented is recorded as being lost/stolen/invalidated or the passenger’s identity is
in serious doubt
• The passenger is unable to meet entry requirements for New Zealand
• New Zealand citizens are denied boarding on flights to New Zealand due to attempting to travel
with expired, invalidated or no passports.
Additional y, could you provide data on the number of temporary visas of various categories that
were denied boarding for travel to New Zealand each month between 2022 and 2024, as wel as
data specifical y for passengers departing from China?
The two tables below provide data on the number of individuals that were denied boarding traveling
to New Zealand by month from 1 January 2022 to 29 February 2024. The second table relates to
those specifically departing from a Chinese port.
Please note: Visa types is not captured in the APP offload data set. There are limitations in the data
for establishing those departing from China. The data relating to those denied boarding departing
from China are those individuals where a Chinese port is listed as the origin or offload port. The
tables also include individuals attempting to travel without any visa or NZeTA and may include those
with damaged or expired travel documents.
Al passenger offloads from 1 January 2022 to 29 February 2024
Year
2022
2023
2024
January
43
231
193
February
42
228
302
March
138
400
-
April
213
313
-
May
161
399
-
h
nt June
102
464
-
Mo July
128
389
-
August
181
585
-
September
163
443
-
October
143
414
-
November
234
442
-
December
232
391
-
Al passenger offloads departing from China from 1 January 2022 to 29 February 2024
Year
2022
2023
2024
January
1
53
51
February
2
64
61
March
7
77
-
April
2
75
-
May
8
75
-
h
nt June
4
66
-
Mo July
4
55
-
August
20
133
-
September
13
90
-
October
8
81
-
November
19
83
-
December
54
92
-
You have the right to seek an investigation and review by the Ombudsman of this decision. Information
about how to make a complaint is available at
www.ombudsman.parliament.nz or freephone 0800
802 602.
If you wish to discuss any aspect of your request or this response, please contact
[email address].
Nāku noa, nā
Joanne Hacking
Acting General Manager – Immigration Risk and Border
Immigration New Zealand
Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment
