Restricting Islanders'

Entry To New Zealand

A RECENT Wellington announce ment indicates that in future it may be more difficult for Cook Islanders, Samoans, and other Islanders to gain entry to New Zea land.

It is likely to be a case of “No accommodation, no entry,” as a re sult of NZ publicity given in recent months to considerable overcrowd ing in the living conditions of certain Islanders, especially in the Auckland area.

The Minister of Immigration said that Samoans, who are on a different footing to Cook Islanders in that they are not New Zealand citizens, are already being closely watched.

If found to be living under unsat isfactory conditions their entry per mits are not renewed and they must find less crowded accommodation or return home.

Cook Islanders require permits from the Resident Commissioner before they may leave home. The Department of Island Territories was now considering restricting the issue of such permits.

News of this brought a sharp re action from the Cook Islands Legis lative Council, which considers that people could not be forced into liv

ing at, or not living at, certain addresses. The Council feels also that the Cook Islanders in New Zealand are actually aiding the acute housing situation by providing a valuable much needed labour pool for the building trade, or by re leasing other workers to that trade.

t Early in January, 60 New O donian tourists will visit New land. Unit cost of the trip lasi 2 weeks is 25,000 francs (£AI7S c TEAL DC6B plane will be used... plane will take a certain numb»( New Zealand tourists to NC.