Jacinda Ardern apologizes for ‘racist’ dawn raids on New Zealand Pacific community

[ad_1]

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has formally apologized for police crackdown in the 1970s which “unfairly targeted” the country’s Pacific community.

Key points: Ms Ardern expressed her “sadness” and “remorse” on behalf of the New Zealand government. The people of the Pacific were over-represented in the lawsuits resulting from the raids.

The infamous “dawn raids” were carried out by immigration officers and officials, often accompanied by dogs, in order to arrest and deport people who had exceeded their work visas.

Pacific residents made up a third of those overstayed but made up 86% of prosecutions, while Brits and Americans in New Zealand, who also made up one-third of those overstayed, did saw only 5% of lawsuits during the same period.

“Today, I represent the New Zealand government in offering a formal and unqualified apology to Pacific communities for the discriminatory implementation of the immigration laws of the 1970s,” Ms Ardern told a gathering of dignitaries from the Pacific to Auckland.

“The government expresses its sadness, remorse and regret that the dawn raids and random police checks took place and that these actions were never considered appropriate.”

As the crackdown took place almost 50 years ago, Ms Ardern said they remained deeply engraved in the memory of those affected and lived “in a breakdown of trust and faith in the authorities. “.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern expressed “her sadness, remorse and regret” in her apology.

AP: Brett Phibbs / New Zealand Herald

)

Ms. Arden also participated in a traditional Samoan ritual known as ifoga, in which the subject seeks forgiveness by exposing himself to some kind of public humiliation.

Members of the Pacific Island community placed a large white rug over Ms. Ardern’s head that completely covered her. Moments later, they pulled her off and kissed her.

Pacific Peoples Minister William Sio, who emigrated with his family from Samoa to New Zealand in 1969, called the raids “racism of the worst kind”.

“The right decision to apologize”

Wellington had encouraged migration from Pacific islands such as Samoa, Tonga and Fiji after World War II to fill labor shortages as the economy grew.

Space to play or pause, M to mute, left and right arrows to search, up and down arrows for volume. New Zealand police have targeted Pacific residents, picking them up from the streets or entering their homes

But those who migrated faced backlash during the downturn of the 1970s, claiming they were taking jobs from New Zealanders.

When Ms Ardern first announced that she would apologize, Mr Sio swallowed back tears as he recalled the terrifying experience of being targeted.

“The memories are etched in my father being someone helpless knocking on your door in the early hours of the morning with a flashlight in your face, disrespecting the owner of our home,” he said.

Tongan Princess Mele Siu’ilikutapu Kalaniuvalu Fotofili said it was “the right decision to apologize”. (

AP: Brett Phibbs / New Zealand Herald

)

“An Alsatian dog that foams in the mouth, wanting to enter without any respect for the people who live there. It was quite traumatic.”

Tongan Princess Mele Siu’ilikutapu Kalaniuvalu Fotofili said the impact of the dawn raids had haunted her community for generations.

National apologies 50 years in the making

The New Zealand government apologizes for police tactics that the Pacific Island community describes as “state sanctioned racism.”

Read more

“We are grateful to your government for making the right decision to apologize,” she told Ms Ardern.

“To redress the extreme, inhuman, racist and unfair treatment, especially against my community, in the era of dawn raids.”

The princess said that while some in her Tongan community may have been on the wrong side of the law at the time, that did not justify the extreme measures taken against them.

Ms Ardern said New Zealand was committed to eradicating racism and she hoped the apology had brought “a much needed closure and healing for our Pacific communities”.

AFP / AP

[ad_2]