5 Aug 2008

Permits for missing Indian nationals about to expire

3:13 pm on 5 August 2008

Visitor permits for a group of Indian nationals who went missing in Auckland last month will expire this week.

Forty people disappeared last month while apparently en route to Australia for World Youth Day.

It is thought the group may have been caught up in an elaborate visa scam operating out of New Delhi, and were led to believe they had permanent residency.

The Department of Labour says it knows the location of 20 of the group, and is working to find the remaining 16. Four have since left the country voluntarily.

The group's permits expire on Wednesday and Thursday and the department says if they do not leave the country voluntarily they will be deported and banned from returning for five years.

Community help

The Department of Labour says the local Indian community is being helpful with its inquiries because they want to avoid further negative publicity for their homeland.

The Sikh Society is not confident the missing people will come forward before their permits expire.

Daljit Singh from the Auckland Sikh Society says it will do all it can to help the department once the permits expire. He says society members are able to ask their contacts, including other community leaders, to try to find out where the missing people are, and who is supporting them.