Submission on the Restoring Citizenship Removed by the Citizenship (Western Samoa) Act 1982 Bill
31 May 2024
The Bill proposes to restore the rights to Aotearoa New Zealand citizenship to Samoans whose citizenship rights were stripped by the Citizenship (Western Samoa) Act 1982.
Caritas Aotearoa New Zealand supports the Restoring Citizenship Removed by Citizenship (Western Samoa) Act 1982 Bill. The Citizenship (Western Samoa) Act 1982 contradicted the Catholic social teaching principles of human dignity and the right to participation and must be repealed. This Restoring Citizenship Removed by Citizenship (Western Samoa) Act 1982 Bill is a decades-late response to the unjust legislation that was put through by the New Zealand Government in 1982.
In the same way that the New Zealand Government has begun to make amends for the racist Dawn Raids of the 1970s, passing this bill is one step in the ongoing process of acknowledging and making amends for the discriminatory actions of Aotearoa New Zealand towards other Pacific Island Nations. This bill is a direct show of support and respect for Samoa, and for the significant contributions that Samoans have made and will continue to make to Aotearoa New Zealand society.