Three Indians facing charges relating to human trafficking were the subject of discussion over the weekend as a New Zealand Court handled the first such case in its long history.
Jaswinder Singh Sangha (53) and Satnam Singh (52) appeared in the Nelson District Court on August 28, 2014 following their arrest in Motueka earlier that day.
A third man, Kulvant Singh was arrested in Auckland on August 29.
The arrests followed detailed investigations by Immigration New Zealand (INZ) and the New Zealand Police.
INZ Assistant General Manager (Compliance and Border Operations) Peter Devoy described the prosecution as ‘an extremely significant development.’
“It shows how seriously we treat such allegations and the fact this is the first prosecution for people trafficking in New Zealand sends a very strong message that we will thoroughly investigate any other cases he said.
While Jaswinder and Satnam jointly face 11 charges of trafficking by deception, Kulwant has to respond to 36 charges of providing false or misleading information to a Refugee- status Officer. They did not enter any plea and will appear in the Nelson court on September 4, 2014.
Serious crime
The defendants have been charged under the Crimes Act 1961 for arranging by deception the entry of 18 Indian nationals into New Zealand. Human trafficking is a serious crime leading to imprisonment up to 20 years and/or a fine of $500,000 or both.
The first two men also face charges under the Immigration Act 1987 in relation to false refugee claims they organised and lodged for the 18 Indian nationals once they arrived in New Zealand. The maximum penalty is up to seven years’ imprisonment and / or a fine not exceeding $100,000.
NZAMI Conference
The Indian community responded to the news of their arrest with embarrassment and anger. Many Immigration Advisors and Lawyers who attended the Annual Conference of the New Zealand Association of Migration and Investment (NZAMI) at Eden Park on Friday, August 29.
“We are happy that the perpetrators have been brought to justice. They should receive the maximum punishment available under the current laws. It would be a pity to see them walk. Others should be deterred from undertaking such illegal activities,” a few community leaders said.
The Great Debate
New Zealand should have proper checks and balances in its Immigration Policies to keep away unproductive migrants and allow quality people who are serious and sincere about their settling in this country, according to immigration advisers attending a Conference held in Auckland on August 29, 2014.
Immigration Minister Michael Woodhouse was a keynote speaker at the inaugural session of the Annual Conference of the New Zealand Association of Migration and Investment (NZAMI) at Eden Park. He spoke of the success achieved by the National Government over the past six years and that his Party advocated “stable and demand-driven numbers.”
‘The Great Immigration Debate’ was held in the afternoon with Winston Peters, Colin Craig, Jamie Whyte, respectively Leaders of New Zealand First, Conservative and ACT Parties, Trevor Mallard (Labour) and Hinurewa Te Hau (Maori).
An analysis of the debate along with other reports of the Conference will appear in our next issue.
Jaswinder Singh Sangha and Satnam Singh on their way to the Nelson District Court on August 29
(Picture for Fairfax Media by Alden Williams)
