By Pacific Island Times News Staff
Thousands of elderly Samoans may soon regain their New Zealand citizenship under a bill that would restore their citizen status, which was taken away from them in 1982.
Dame Cindy Kiro, New Zealand's governor general, is expected to sign the Citizenship Western Samoa Restoration Amendment Act into law after it was unanimously passed by the parliament this week.
The bill, authored by Green MP Teanau Tuiono, would apply to Samoans born between 1924 and 1948.
Marcia Leenen-Young, a Pacific historian at the University of Auckland, said reinstating the citizenship rights to those stripped of their status four decades ago "is significant not only for the Samoan people but also for Aotearoa New Zealand."
“This is about righting a wrong done by the New Zealand government in 1982 when they took away citizenship (an act rare and vilified in history) from Sāmoans born in Samoa between May 1924 and December 1948, who were New Zealand citizens by law according to the Privy council," Young said.
Tuiono said the bill received "powerful testimonies" from the impacted Samoan community during the consultation period.
About 25,000 submissions were received from New Zealand and Sāmoa during the select committee process.
It passed with one amendment from New Zealand First, which required that successful applicants be refunded their application fees. Citizenship applications are expected to be lodged from next week.
"I hope that the passage of this bill is a milestone in addressing historical injustices acknowledging inter-generational harm and fostering accountability for past actions," he said.
Tuiono's bill would amend the New Zealand Citizenship and Western Sāmoa Act 1982, which rescinded and annulled citizenship claims by Samoans living in Samoa.
The 1982 law was in response to the Privy Council’s decision granting citizenship to Falema’i Lesa, a Samoan woman, who was arrested in 1975 in Wellington during a dawn raid. Facing deportation, her lawyers took the case all the way to the Privy Council.
Only those who could prove they were in New Zealand on Sept 14, 1982 were eligible for New Zealand citizenship.
Young said while the bill may be "historically significant, it falls short of restoring full rights to the group affected."
“We must be aware that this is not a complete reversal of this law and the rights given to all NZ citizens are not actually being granted by this bill," Young said.
She noted that the citizenship does not extend to the descendants of those born between 1924 and 1948.
“It also stops at 1948, marked with the creation of New Zealand as a nation and formal citizenship, but Sāmoa was governed in part by New Zealand people, legal structures, and political and social institutions right up until 1962," Young said.
“So while this bill passing its third reading is historically significant for recognizing and righting a wrong, and should be celebrated throughout Aotearoa, we still have some way to go," she added.
New Zealand administered Samoa under a League of Nations mandate, then by a United Nations trusteeship from 1920 to 1961.
Since becoming independent in 1962, Samoa has retained close relations with New Zealand based on a treaty of friendship.
New Zealand is home to the second-largest Samoan community outside of Samoa. Based on the 2015 count, the Samoan population (and those of Samoan origin) in New Zealand reached 182,731 people.
Jemaima Tiatia-Siau, pro-vice chancellor and Pacific professor at the University of Aukland, said the passage of the citizenship restoration bill "demonstrated what was possible when people came together."
“To see our people legally recognized by law gives us the dignity that was taken away," she said.
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