30 Jun 2009

UNICEF backs call for New Zealand to quickly sort out access rights for children of overstayers

6:41 pm on 30 June 2009

UNICEF New Zealand has joined the call from the New Zealand Human Rights Commission for the New Zealand education system to stop discriminating against children whose parents are in the country illegally.

Dennis McKinlay, the executive director of UNICEF, says more than 1,000 children of Pacific descent are unable to attend school or have access to free health care because their parent's immigration status is unclear.

He says this is an obvious breach of their rights.

Mr McKinlay says there is an international agreement that children should not be penalised because of their parent's immigration status.

UNICEF is urging the New Zealand Government to act speedily to remove any impediment to children attending school.

Mr McKinlay says there is also the wider matter of provision of health care, with children, communities and government service providers needing to know that every child has the right to free education and basic health care, regardless of their parent's status.