The government has been criticised on several fronts for cancelling the passports of New Zealander’s wanting to join the rebel forces in Syria.
A New Zealand Herald editorial said “it seems wrong that a government should cancel the passport of a citizen in any circumstances short of treachery.”
My opinion piece in last Friday’s New Zealand Herald challenged the legality of the government’s move, as did Andrew Geddis, writing on the Pundit blog.
Under our Passports Act “every citizen is entitled as of right to a New Zealand passport” and having one is necessary to exercise “the right to leave New Zealand” guaranteed in our Bill of Rights.
Going overseas to fight in a foreign war is not a criminal act (unless the person is a mercenary) and, despite what the government says, it is not covered by the Passports Act. (See my NZ Herald OpEd for more details).
There are sad historical precedents for Western governments taking away people’s passport for political reasons, most dating back to the Cold War period.
In 1950 the US government cancelled the passport of Paul Robeson, then the most celebrated Afro-American entertainer in the world. When Robeson asked the State Department for reasons, he was told that “his frequent criticism of the treatment of blacks in the United States should not be aired in foreign countries.” Robeson didn’t get his passport back until 1958. In 1960 I was privileged to hear the great singer at a packed concert in Christchurch.
In 1955 the Australian government refused to replace the lost passport of the famous Australian foreign correspondent Wilfred Burchett to hinder his reporting and stop him from returning to Australia. Burchett, like Robeson, was deemed to be a communist sympathiser. He was not even allowed back into Australia to attend his father’s funeral. In 1972 the incoming Whitlam Labor government finally replaced Burchett’s passport.
One of the problems we have in challenging our government’s illegal cancellation of New Zealand passports is that the citizens off to fight in Syria are will probably want to keep their heads down and not take the matter to court.
We should keep up pressure on the government over this. The freedom to travel is ever more important for New Zealanders. Nowadays, Kiwis travel frequently as part of their job, for pleasure, or to connect with family members who are often dispersed around the globe.
As usual it seems that DonKey is AGAIN making the rules up as he goes. When are NZ’ers going to see this liar for what he is. I’m really hoping it will be the next election.
So its come to this – if the Don doesn’t like what you say he takes your passport away.
@ AVENGING ANGEL – I think the revelation Key is a liar will come much sooner than the election. Hopefully Kiwis will see him for what he really is through the Dotcom v NZ Government trial next month! Can’t wait.
“In 1960 I was privileged to hear the great singer at a packed concert in Christchurch.”
You must have been about three, unless your age extreme well %:-)
According to Wikipedia, Keith would have been 15 or 16 in 1960.
Yes, and at 15-16 Keith had already been under SIS surveillance for at least three years… And for anyone who knows Keith, that is an absolute disgrace.
My parent’s home country (within the former Eastern European bloc) once controlled the movements of it’s citizens.
Acquiring a ‘blue’ passport (which allowed one to travel to the West) was at the pleasure of the State. The State determined who could travel and where.
Welcome to Key’s Fascist National Republic of New Zealand…
I await the first load of boat people to flee our shores in the dead of night…
Frank – Polish?
I know a few Poles (on my partner’s side) and they horrified at what they are hearing. It brings back so much bad memories for them!
What a wretched man New Zealanders elected!
Might be nice for a dissenting view and that the rebel Syrians are Islamic fundamentalists fighting for an Islamic state against a secular government . If they win will be like how Libya or Saudi Arabia is. Will be a haven for terrorists
I actually agree with the Keyster here. I am haunted by some of those images from Syria, not excluding those of laughing jihadists loading missile launchers. There is something very very wrong with the whole situation and going all gung-ho about this passport thing sort of sidesteps the issue. I don’t expect any likes. I’m just sick of the internet being awash with testosterone and justifying stuff. Stephen Hawkins just wrote about Syria. Consider.
Just a reminder that the current government inherited this law from the previous one. I haven’t seen reasons why such a law was made in the first place.
Keith sound values here.
Sad to learn new Zealand ers cannot leave the country if money owing to government agencies
Stopped at the airport. …
Seems this government is determined to hit the citizens harshly om economic management
[…] Cancelling Kiwi passports dangerous and illegal By Keith Locke – See more at: https://thedailyblog.co.nz/2014/02/17/cancelling-kiwi-passports-dangerous-and-illegal/#sthash.do1M4iS… […]
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