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Tell National to reunite Kiwis with their families

Posted by on August 22, 2024

Damage in Gaza

Thousands of people have taken to the streets and voiced their concerns about the war in Gaza, but National politicians continue to sit on their hands as the slaughter continues. Meanwhile, Palestinian Kiwis exist on a knife’s edge, fearing every day they will get the worst possible news about relatives stuck in the hell that is the active war zone of Gaza. 

Why hasn’t the National Government issued a special humanitarian visa for the family members of New Zealanders trapped in Gaza when Israeli military action has killed an estimated 40,000 people and displaced 1.9 million people?

The Government must show some compassion and create a special visa to allow Palestinians with family in New Zealand to be reunited with them here.

New Zealand must use all the diplomatic tools it can to allow those in Gaza with New Zealand visas to leave Gaza.

40 Palestinian Kiwi families are desperate to get their family members out of Gaza and wonder why they don’t deserve a special visa when New Zealand acted so promptly and generously to give Ukrainian Kiwis the opportunity to bring their families here.

Add your voice: email Minister of Immigration Erica Stanford requesting we extend visas to families of Kiwi Palestinians.

A suggested email is below and you can send it in just two clicks, but feel free to add your own words as well.

In March, a petition signed by more than 16,000 people and tabled in the House urged the Government to provide immediate humanitarian assistance to the Palestinian people.

But while Immigration Minister Erica Stanford acknowledged there was an "unimaginable humanitarian crisis in Gaza", she claimed issuing special visas would merely give Palestinians “false hope” as they could not leave Gaza.

That is not only patronising, it is wrong. While travel outside of Gaza requires approval from Israeli authorities, visas can help facilitate such approval. And there are other ways out: four young children orphaned in Gaza used a private firm to cross into Egypt and simply need visas to be able to come and live with relatives in New Zealand. If they go back to Gaza they could be killed.

We must do the right thing

The right thing to do is give Kiwi Palestinians the chance to help their family members take shelter from the war in NZ.

New Zealand citizen Alya Hammad’s mother has lost more than 20 members of her family. Her aunty has lost her home, and one of her husband's family has been killed. How long will National ignore the cries of its own citizens before it takes action? 

“It’s about choices: the Government can use all channels to help people trapped in Gaza reunite with family here or twiddle their thumbs and say it’s too hard,” said Labour immigration spokesperson Phil Twyford.

“They’ve clearly chosen the latter. The right thing to do is to create a Special Gaza Visa, and have our diplomats make every effort to get people out.”

Wounded child with medic

 

We have done it for others

The Labour Government did it for Ukrainians, and this Government should give Palestinians the same opportunity.

We showed with the evacuation of Kabul that we can act decisively to save people at risk. In the case of Ukraine, the Labour Government gave the hundreds of family members of Kiwis in the war zone the chance to take shelter with their families in New Zealand.

“We did it because it was the right thing to do,” said Labour immigration spokesperson Phil Twyford. “Palestinians with family here deserve the same support to escape conflict as Ukrainian nationals.

“There is no reason the Government should not now do the same for the families of Kiwis stuck in Gaza. To not do so for the people of Gaza is a disgraceful double standard.”

We will not be alone

Canada allocated 5000 special visas for Palestinians living in Gaza. Australia has allocated more than 2800 visas for those escaping Gaza, and more than 1200 have arrived in Australia. If they can do it, why can’t New Zealand?

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