NZ is multicultural and getting more so all the time. There is some disparity between people of different origins in their ability to obtain citizenship. Some countries allow for dual citizenship. That's awesome for those people. Many people come to NZ from countries that do NOT allow dual citizenship. For the most part, they face a stark choice. 1. Apply for NZ Passport and become a foreigner in the land of their birth potentially cutting them off from their family. This is a huge risk for single women who marry NZers only to regret the decision later and potentially become trapped in a relationship because they are cut off from their support network. 2. Live in NZ on a permanent residence basis which works for the most part. This also affects some children born to foreign parents who may face making a choice when they get older. What I advocate is citizenship lite (something like the Turkish Blue Card). It means that as far as NZ is concerned they are citizens but because it's not an internationally recognised passport, it wouldn't affect their birth nationality. I recommend that we make it so that the Citizenship Lite document can be used to enter NZ (make it readable by the machines on the border). It would of course be valueless for trying to get into other countries. I believe that this would put all immigrants on an even playing field whatever the rules of their home country is. I also recommend that citizenship lite has the same requirements and obligations as taking on a full NZ passport. Also, children born to a parent with Citizenship Lite are as if born to a parent with an NZ Passport. It is a safe an easy policy because it's essentially a better and nicer name for permanent returning residents visa with better documentation. Also, this could gather a ton of votes, looking and the demographics for NZ, I calculate that 225,000 people live her who were born in counties that do NOT allow dual citizenship (China, India, Korea, The Netherlands, Malaysia, Germany and Japan). Ok, I get that it doesn't benefit people born in NZ (like me) but then again, if we are born here then we aren't at risk of being cut off from our families either. Let's build a fairer NZ for those that come here. BTW, many Dutch people arrived here after World War 2 and have lived here ever since on permanent residents visas.
Citizenship Lite
Citizenship Lite
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Facebook TwitterIf you are really after commitment then shouldn’t the rule be one passport only. I struggle to see why people from the UK and other dual passport countries get the benefit out of luck. (I don’t advocate one passport only by the way).
For citizenship lite you can make all the same demands as you make for people getting full citizenship. All the same obligations. It just wouldn’t trigger the overseas ‘choose one passport’ laws.
Winston Peters can have the keep all foreigners out vote. There’s quarter of a million people in the ‘choose one passport’ category and probably a bit more in the ‘dual passports OK’ category. It doesn’t cost anything, hardly changes anything (perhaps citizenship lite is better than returning residents visa as a commitment) and there’s a ton of potential votes on it.
Graeme, Still disagree. If they can get dual citizenship that’s fine, I’m not suggesting it’s taken away (I think that’s what you’re getting at). If an NZer chooses to become a citizen to another country that doesn’t have dual rights…. that’s their choice. People can still travel & work without becoming a citizen of another country (at least in a lot of places). The woman in question should already have made a social network. They would have been here for some time so should have done so. If it doesn’t work out she (or he, since it can happen to anyone) will need to apply to live back in their country of origin.