Deport her

The Herald reports:

An overstayer mother facing deportation is fighting to be made legal for a day so she can file an application to remain with her 5-year-old New Zealand citizen son.

Chinese national Fiona Xiao, 35, who has been here unlawfully since 2006, fears that deportation could mean a permanent separation from her child who can’t enter China under its Covid-19 border rules.

This is basically bullshit.

Xiao has had previous applications and appeals declined multiple times, but says her situation has changed as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Ivan is a New Zealand citizen and will not be able to go with her if she is deported because current Chinese border restriction rules bar entry to foreign nationals.

Ivan is a NZ citizen but also qualifies for Chinese citizenship as his mother is Chinese and she has not gained residency or citizenship.

Also China does not have a total ban on foreign nationals.

The bottom line is the mother is trying to use Covid-19 as a distraction.

Xiao first arrived in NZ with her father in December 2005 on a Limited Purpose Permit after having been declined visitor visas.

An INZ spokesman said LPPs were granted to allow holders to enter NZ “for an expressed purpose only” and in Xiao’s case was to visit her father’s sister.

“The LPP was granted due to concerns about the potential of overstaying,” the spokesman said.

So she has been an overstayer for 15 years and abused the LPP.

If getting pregnant means illegal overstayers can gain residency, then we’d be swamped with tens of thousands more illegal overstayers.