Summarised by Centrist
The government is proposing electronic monitoring for asylum seekers and deportable migrants under a sweeping new immigration bill.
Immigration Minister Erica Stanford said it would provide a “middle ground” between detention and loose supervision, particularly for those deemed flight risks or national security concerns.
Under the new regime, a judge would decide whether electronic monitoring or detention is appropriate.
Stanford told RNZ the numbers would be small at about five asylum seekers and up to 130 deportable migrants annually. The proposed ankle monitors would apply in limited cases.
Asylum Seekers Support Trust general manager Dawit Arshak called it dehumanising: “An innocent person to be put in that condition… how would we feel if it happens to you and me?”
The bill also extends 28-day detention powers, currently only for mass arrivals by sea, to include asylum seekers arriving by plane or cruise ship.
Other changes in the bill include new rules requiring judicial approval for dawn raids and after-hours home visits, a new offence for charging migrants cash for job offers, including payments made offshore, and a provision allowing the deportation of new residents who plead guilty or are discharged without conviction.
The bill also proposes a broader review of the immigration levy system to ensure costs are more fairly shared across those who benefit from and create risks within the immigration system.
