Submission to the Education and Workforce Committee on the Immigration (Fiscal and System Integrity) Amendment Bill

As noted throughout our submission on the Immigration (Fiscal and System Integrity) Amendment Bill, we acknowledge that it proposes some amendments that are likely to create positive impacts for migrant, asylum-seeking and refugee children in Aotearoa New Zealand.

However, we are also concerned that some of the Bill's proposals fail to ensure that the best interests of migrant, asylum-seeking and refugee children are a primary consideration in decision-making. We are concerned about how this could negatively impact on the rights, interests and well-being of migrant and refugee children.

The matters in this Bill directly affect mokopuna. We emphasise to the Education and Workforce Committee that it is unacceptable that this Bill has been developed without refugee or migrant mokopuna being involved or consulted, and without their views being taken into account. We urge the Committee to prioritise hearing directly from mokopuna about their views as part of the Select Committee oral hearings process.