its official, nzis is corrupt, corrupt, corrupt.............

rodders · Valued Member Joined: 25 Nov 2003 Posts: 134

the bug***s screen us for criminal records, but don't check their own crooked staff.

Scathing criticism of Immigration

Widespread fraud and corruption has been found in the New Zealand Immigration Service following an independent investigation.

A report by consultants KPMG reveals that while Lianne Dalziel was in charge of immigration, staff falsified documents, sold information and gave preferential treatment to their friends.

Immigration Service General Manager Andrew Lockhart says the service is cleaning up its act.

"We've certainly taken the KPMG report and we've put in the recommendations from that. We've got a fraud policy that we've got in place. And we've got internal investigation guidelines which are out there and we've strengthened the procedures around it," Lockhart said.

In just two years from 2001-2003, the report said some 49 staff members were involved in corruption. So far, 13 staff have resigned or been sacked

There were 78 allegations of corruption against them. Of those, 27% have already been upheld and 22% are still being investigated.

The report also identifies large holes in the department's ability to investigate corrupt staff.

Would-be immigrants must undergo police checks before moving to New Zealand. But immigration staff are not checked out by police and no background investigations are done on them. Immigration relies on employment checks to make sure it gets honest staff.

The service says it takes corruption seriously and is investigating all allegations.

veronica · Posted: Thu Apr 08, 2004 10:15 pm Post subject:

Don't tar all of them with the same brush. The article says 49 people are implicated but that obviously leaves an awful lot of other people who weren't.

Our application followed straight forward procedure with not a hint of anything improper and I have no doubt that thousands of other people could say the same.

All the same I would admit to curiousity about the numbers/percentages Hmmm

used in the article as well as which nationalities are involved and whether the staff were all NZ based or overseas.

rodders · Valued Member Joined: 25 Nov 2003 Posts: 134

point taken veronica.

all the same, they're checking our criminal records (and quite right too) but no-one has checked on the criminal records of nzis staff.

veronica · Posted: Fri Apr 09, 2004 12:33 am Post subject:

I totally agree that they should be checked but maybe they didn't have a criminal record before they decided to misuse their power! Temptation is a great corrupter.

Jamie Smith · Posted: Fri Apr 09, 2004 1:00 am Post subject:

Yes, well......

That's just under 8% of staff and that's only the ones who're caught.... Almost one in ten have their hand out (black humour - maybe that's why some go on to be , um, agents?)

Blimming heck.

On the other hand, in foreign service offices the foreign Govts insist on nationals being placed so perhaps that's where it starts - with apologies to foreign nationals who do a good job.

But heads should roll, starting with top brass even as high as AL as he was Ops Manager prior to this and fraud would have been his pigeon to deal with.

There are some very good people there too.

At the very least I would have though a police check even using foreign police services, and where that was not possible/reliable some very strict internal auditing systems.

Heavens above, worse than I would have thought and might explain a few odd decisions I've heard made.

Gosh....

JCM · Posted: Fri Apr 09, 2004 3:48 pm Post subject:

susanlin · Posted: Fri Apr 09, 2004 11:26 pm Post subject: michael barrymore

hi - regarding corruption in NZIS...I heard at work the other day that the granting of PR to Michael Barrymore has been controversial and there has been comment in some national newspapers. Before I left the UK, I remember reading that MB had been granted residency with disbelief! How fair is that? when you think of all the palava we are all having to go through to get a residency - do you think Barrymore had to go through the same..?

Jamie Smith · Posted: Sat Apr 10, 2004 12:16 am Post subject: Re: michael barrymore

MB raised my eyebrows (no, no THAT way!).

I think he might have come in on Talent Visa for artists, straight to residence as long as artists' organisations in NZ give approval to talent.

goldwheels · Posted: Sun Apr 11, 2004 7:58 pm Post subject:

Read in the press last week that MB got in through his gay lover as he is a kiwi, and that entitled him for the partnership status. But what about if we had body floating in our pool with a joint stuck out of his arse, would NZIS let us in.