Wednesday, 11 October 2006

Immigration officials are holding an Iranian overstayer in custody and will eventually deport him, despite Immgration Minister David Cunliffe having argued strongly he should be allowed to stay.

Associate Immigration Minister Clayton Cosgrove has turned down Hossein Yadegary's application for a discretionary visa, rejecting Mr Cunliffe's advocacy, made as MP for New Lynn before he became Immigration Minister.

Mr Yadegary, a chef, has been in custody, awaiting deportation, since the dismissal of his appeal to the Refugee Status Appeal Authority in October 2004. He has refused to be deported back to Iran voluntarily and does not hold a current passport, meaning he cannot be forcibly deported.

He was refused refugee status after arriving in New Zealand in 1993 and has since exhausted every appeal avenue available to him.