Minister promises to clear Immigration mess

Immigration Minister Dr Jonathan Coleman has said the Department will undergo a thorough review and overhaul, tacitly admitting that all was not well with Immigration New Zealand.

His announcement followed a reportedly scathing attack by the Auditor General in his recent review.

The Inquiry into Immigration Matters Report called for the Government’s “Urgent Attention’ to the way in which the Department is functioning.

“We have got a picture of a service with big problems, and I am putting the onus right on the Chief Executive and the State Services Commissioner to deliver on their assurances that they have a plan to put Immigration New Zealand right,” Dr Coleman said in a statement.

He seized the opportunity to criticise the previous (Labour) Government to say, “The mess left by them was worse than what was thought to be earlier.”

It is understood that the Auditor General visited at least 10 offices and branches of Immigration New Zealand and examined the decisions of officials relating to more than 400 applications for various permits.

“The report found an unacceptable variation in quality of decision-making between branches, training provided to staff, use of delegation, procedures for reducing backlogs, and systems and practices for decision making,” he said.

It is understood that the review included risk assessment, information documentation and verification of supporting documents and quality control.

Dr Coleman said Immigration New Zealand appeared to be in distress.

“It is an organisation where people do not talk to each other and a department in which management practices are poor.

“There is a lack of standardisation in the way things are done across the service.”

But he paid tribute to the staff saying they were hardworking.

They were betrayed by a dysfunctional organisation, he said.

“Immigration New Zealand staff do not feel it is an environment in which they can raise concerns further up the chain.

“The Report made it clear that the decision to ask the Chief Executive to reintegrate the Pacific Division back into the core of INZ was the right one,” Dr Coleman said.

He said the Report confirmed his worst fears about what was going on in that division, and backed it up with the finding that 42% of the decisions made were either questionable or poor.

Dr Coleman said it would take considerable time to implement the changes recommended by the Auditor General.

As reported in our November 15, 2009 issue, Indian Newslink has been receiving complaints about graft in some Immigration New Zealand offices.

These are being investigated.

If you believe you have been a victim, please write to us with all relevant details.

Email: editor@indiannewslink.co.nz 

Read our editorial, Corruption has no place here .