'They're not coming home': Shane Jones defends denying citizenship to Australia-based Māori
New Zealand First politician Shane Jones is defending a proposed immigration policy that would restrict birthright citizenship. The policy would require children of non-citizens, including those with long-standing Māori ties to Australia, to apply for visas to return to New Zealand.
Why it matters
The proposal highlights ongoing tensions regarding national identity, indigenous rights, and the legal status of citizens living abroad.
Māori children whose grandparents left to find work may have to go through a process to return, under New Zealand First's immigration policy.
New Zealand First's Shane Jones is defending the party's immigration policy, telling Mata the party will no longer allow citizenship to be "trivialised".
Leader Winston Peters unveiled the policy at the annual Immigration Conference last week, including a promise to restrict birthright citizenship to citizens only.
New Zealand ended unrestricted birthright citizenship in 2005, so that children born in New Zealand would only be automatically granted citizenship at birth if at least one parent was a citizen or had permission to remain in New Zealand indefinitely.
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