Results for New Zealand

Tongans in New Zealand have begun celebrating “Tongan Language Week” with various events promoting the Tongan language, being held from September 1-7.

Six overseas Tongans have been deported to Tonga or have voluntarily left New Zealand after their criminal records were wrongly wiped-off by Tonga Police under a former practice that remains under police investigation in Nuku'alofa, while New Zealand immigration alerts have been issued at borders on the names of other Tongan individuals who have been identified to have concealed criminal records.

Tonga's King Tupou VI and Queen Nanasipau'u are currently on their first official state visit to New Zealand.

Tongan seasonal workers under the New Zealand Recognised Seasonal Employers program are affected by the NZ immigration minister's recent decision to hold Tongan visa applications that require police clearances. A first group of 35 workers who were due to leave for New Zealand on Monday remain on stand-by in Nuku'alofa. Another 120 workers who are scheduled to leave over the next two weeks in the height of the harvest season will also be affected by the new rule.

Immigration New Zealand in Nuku'alofa is alerting the public to a scam in Auckland that is selling "visas" for New Zealand.

Three people who had attempted to arrange the sale of several hundred kilograms of methamphetamine that were alleged to be stockpiled in Tonga have been arrested today, August 17, by the Auckland Police Drug Squad.

Tonga's Minister of Labour has been warned by New Zealand officials that the number of RSE runaways in New Zealand must be reduced soon or Tonga may not be able to send seasonal workers in future.

Prime Minister John Key met several young missionaries from Pacific Island nations yesterday (August 20), when he visited the new Mormon Missionary Training Centre in South Auckland. Missionaries from Samoa, Tonga, Kiribati and New Zealand joined with others from the United States and other countries in welcoming the Prime Minister to the training centre.

By Linny Folau The Recognised Seasonal Employer Scheme to New Zealand (RSE) for the Pacific Islands, including Tongan fruit pickers, has worked well for both the various islands and New Zealand, the Minister of Immigration Hon Dr Jonathan Coleman said today.