Samoa Citizenship Bill passes second reading in NZ Parliament

Apia, Samoa – 24 October 2024 – The Bill to restore New Zealand citizenship for a group of Samoans that were removed by Citizenship (Western Samoa) Act 1982, passed its second reading in Parliament this (Thursday) morning.

Teanau Tuiono, the Green Party MP in charge of the Bill, said if ultimately passed, it will provide a pathway to citizenship for a group of Samoans, as another step towards Pasifika justice.

All parties support Samoan citizenship Bill
The Bill was supported by all parties, including the National Party which did not support it during the first reading.

National supported the Bill this time on the provision that only those born between 1924 and 1949 will be offered citizenship and not the descendants of the group.

The Privy Council ruled in 1982 that all Western Samoans born between 1924 and 1948 were British subjects and therefore New Zealand citizens, but the government at the time – led by Robert Muldoon – overturned this ruling.

National was the only party that did not support the Restoring Citizenship Removed By Citizenship (Western Samoa) Act 1982 Bill in the first reading, raising issues around legal precedent and immigration pressure.

The Bill received unanimous support from select committee to proceed after MPs agreed not to include the descendants of the cohort.

Christopher Luxon said they wanted to be reassured the eligibility would be “very tightly held by those that were impacted by the 1982 legislation”.

“That core group is about three and a half thousand people, aged 76 to 100.”

Had the eligibility been widened to include the immediate children, it could have affected about 15,600 more people.

Former National MP Arthur Anae was not pleased with the changes from select committee, calling it “window dressing” and a “Christmas box with nothing inside it”.

The time to get this right is now
Luxon is travelling to Samoa today for the Commonwealth Heads of Government summit and comes at the backdrop of mounting local concern over the environmental impact of the sinking of the HMNZS Manawanui early this month off the southern coast of Upolu.

New Zealand Immigration has announced it is going to open expanded services in Apia with next month with full day service for visa assessment compared to the existing one hour service in a working day.

Samoans have been at odds with the mounting difficulties in obtaining visa access to enter New Zealand even for short term visits for family commitments such as reunions, weddings and funerals.

Those who have fought for recognition over the decades say the time to get this right is now.

Former National MP and a supporter of the Bill, Anae Arthur Anae said more could be done to address issues around the ability for Samoans to travel to New Zealand easily.

“When will they wake up? When will they realise that we are part of New Zealand,” he told RNZ.

“The Pacific people have been treated wrong for too long, especially Samoan people in this case.”