Immigration catches up with overstayer who lived under alias for 38 years
Lafaele Laoa, a 60-year-old Samoan national, has lost his appeal against deportation after living in New Zealand for 38 years under a false identity. Authorities discovered his true status in 2024, citing his history of criminal convictions and domestic violence as factors in the decision.
Why it matters
This case underscores the challenges immigration authorities face in tracking long-term overstayers and the legal complexities of deportation after decades of residency.
An overstayer who used a forged passport when he arrived 38 years ago and lived under a false identity has lost his attempt to appeal deportation.
But Lafaele Laoa, 60, has still not returned to Samoa after a three-month deadline to do so expired last week.
Laoa used the assumed name of Olive Mao when he arrived in 1988, and despite trying to locate him, Immigration New Zealand did not find him until police shared information with them in 2024.
He had a list of previous convictions from 1992 to 2013, and 10 alleged family harm incidents between 2009 and 2020.
"He made no effort during his prolonged stay here to regularise his status, other than his request for ministerial intervention in 2024 after being placed in immigration custody and with deportation imminent," said the immigration and protection tribunal.
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