51488 (2025). Teanau Tuiono to the Minister of Immigration

51488 (2025). Teanau Tuiono to the Minister of Immigration: Further to WPQ 50001 Do any of those pathways factor in climate-related human rights violations and if so why and if not why not?

Hon Erica Stanford: I refer the member to section 207 of the Immigration Act 2009, which sets out that the Immigration and Protection Tribunal (IPT) must allow an appeal against liability for deportation on humanitarian grounds where it is satisfied that there are exceptional circumstances of a humanitarian nature that would make it unjust or unduly harsh for the appellant to be deported from New Zealand; and it would not in all the circumstances be contrary to the public interest to allow the appellant to remain in New Zealand. I am confident the IPT takes a full account of all relevant evidence available in determining individual appeals on humanitarian grounds. Any individual can write to the Office of Hon Chris Penk, Associate Minister of Immigration, to request consideration of their case, however it is not standard practice for cases to be accepted for consideration unless they have exhausted all avenues through standard immigration pathways including by exercising any appeal rights they may have to the IPT. Where he accepts a case for consideration the Associate Minister is able to use his absolute discretion under the Immigration Act to take into account any factor he deems relevant when making his decision.