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Selwyn Muru presents a programme looking at Pacific immigration issues, overstayers and a recent meeting between community leaders and the Minister of Immigration.
The meeting that took place during the weekend of the 10-11 April 1976.
between the Minister Frank Gill and Polynesian leaders ended in anger and disappointment.
The meeting was called due to tension around Pacific Islanders who had
overstayed their visas. The Island leaders accused the Minister of ignoring their submissions.
Kaikōrero: Clive Edwards, a Tongan lawyer in Auckland. He talks about the current morale of Pacific Islanders living in Auckland. He says morale is very low, as people had been hoping the government might respond differently with an amnesty for people already in New Zealand, who were brought here when their labour was in demand.
He comments on the difference between the way the Pacific migrants were treated and the recent white refugees from Rhodesia.
Kaikōrero: Samoan leader Steve Niumata challenges the government's figures about the number of Pacific illegal immigrants, saying they are inflated.
Dawn raids against overstayers from the Tongan community have not happened against other illegal migrants, such as European migrants from Rhodesia.
He comments on New Zealand's claim to be a harmonious multi-racial society, saying he feels people are being pushed to fighting back against oppression.
Clive Edwards talks about unemployment among Pacific Island people in New Zealand and the feeling that Europeans assume all Polynesians they see on the street are in the country illegally.
Selwyn Muru asks if he feels the dawn raids will become more frequent. Mr Edwards says the Minister assured them the raids have stopped to give overstayers time to register, but Mr Edwards feels the government's inflated idea of the number of overstayers means this will not be successful.