There are renewed calls for New Zealand to stop deporting Tongan overstayers back to the islands of Ha'apai devastated by Cyclone Ian in January, Radio New Zealand reports.
New Zealand lawyer, Richard Small, has just visited Ha'apai and found “a bomb site” with families struggling without proper shelter, a water shortage, failed crops, illness and depression.
“Many people are living in tents and those that are not living in tents are living half or completely under canvas,” he said.
About 500 houses were destroyed and 141 of them are in the urgent queue for cyclone houses funded by the World Bank. It claims all 141 will be finished by the end of this year, and the rest by mid-2015.
Small said construction has started on just 40 houses and, at that rate, it would take five years to complete.
Small has eight appeals before the Associate Minister of Immigration to halt deportation of clients originally from Ha'apai.
He said it would be “completely unconscionable” for New Zealand send them back as extra mouths to feed.
President of Auckland's Tongan Advisory Council, Melino Maka, said it was time for New Zealand to open up opportunities for people "in desperation".
“They can actually come here and work and also money will go directly to assist the rebuild of family homes. Because at the moment there's nothing there from the Tongan Government.”
