Legal action is set to be taken against the Crown after Candace Owens was banned from entering New Zealand to speak.
The Free Speech Union states that Immigration New Zealand rejected her visa because section 15 of the Immigration Act requires them to exclude individuals who have been excluded from Australia.
CEO Jonathan Ayling says Immigration New Zealand is not applying an accurate interpretation of ‘exclusion’.
He says Section 15 of the Immigration Act refers to individuals who have been convicted of serious crimes with imprisonment of more than five years.
Ayling says the de facto exclusion applies most frequently to individuals who are deported or removed from another country and it is not the same thing, to be refused entry as to be excluded, and Immigration New Zealand should know this.
He says Owens’ exclusion appears to come as a result of technicalities of law, not an explicit decision by officials.
The Free Speech Union has written to Chris Penk, calling on him to exercise his discretion and allow Candace Owens entry.
Jonathan Ayling says there is no reason to think that Candace Owens poses any threat to Kiwis other than forcing them to consider perspectives some deem controversial.
He says Kiwis are up to the task of thinking for themselves.
This article was originally published by Family First New Zealand.
