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NZ offers residency to HIV-positive Zimbabweans
Mail & Guardian (SA)
August 30, 2006

http://www.mg.co.za/articlePage.aspx?articleid=282424&area=/breaking_news/breaking_news__international_news/

New Zealand will offer permanent residence to Zimbabweans in the country who are HIV-positive, making an exception to its policy of barring infected applicants, Health Minister Pete Hodgson said on Wednesday.

About 1 300 Zimbabweans have entered New Zealand as a result of the political and economic crisis in Zimbabwe under a special immigration category.

Under New Zealand's immigration policy, all applicants for permanent residence must have an HIV test and those found to be infected are denied permanent residency.

But 800 of the 1 300 Zimbabweans have not come forward to apply for permanent residence.

"The government has become aware ... that some of these 800 people may not be presenting themselves [to] immigration because of a fear that if they fail their HIV tests they will be returned to Zimbabwe," Hodgson said.

HIV-positive Zimbabweans allowed in under the special category would still be granted residency as long as they met other standard criteria, such as character and police checks.

Hodgson said it was more important that any HIV-infected people come forward for treatment.

The government believed as many as 160 of the 800 people who had not come forward could be HIV-positive.

NZ First political party leader Winston Peters -- who is also Foreign Minister -- said the decision highlighted the government's failure to carry out basic health checks when Zimbabweans first entered the country.

"These people ... will now be treated for free for the rest of their lives while the taxpayer picks up the cost -- money that should be spent on sick New Zealanders," Peters said. - Sapa-AFP

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