The government is introducing the Immigration (Enhanced Risk Management) Amendment Bill in Parliament, advancing a package of practical, targeted reforms aimed at strengthening New Zealand’s immigration system and ensuring it can respond decisively to modern challenges.
“Immigration is important for New Zealand, and we are committed to ensuring we continue to attract the skilled people we need while making it easier to address migrant exploitation, serious criminals, and immigration breaches,” Immigration Minister Erica Stanford said.
According to Stanford, the new bill delivers stronger, more effective tools to manage immigration risks, ensuring the system is not exploited while continuing to serve the country’s long-term interests.
“It focuses on striking the right balance between managing risk and maintaining strong safeguards for all people in New Zealand, ensuring our immigration system is fair, functional, and effective.”
Many of the proposed changes come from policy decisions announced last year, with a clear focus on accountability. Central to the reforms is strengthening deportation powers for serious offenders by doubling the residency period for liability—from 10 to 20 years—sending a firm signal that serious criminal behaviour will carry lasting consequences.
Alongside the legislation, a parliamentary paper outlines further measures to tighten asylum processes, reinforce system integrity, and maintain public confidence in immigration controls.
The parliamentary paper includes the following:
- Amending our interpretation of Article 1F(b) of the Refugee Convention, which excludes people who commit serious crimes before admission to the country of refuge from refugee status, to extend that exclusion to where they have committed a serious crime after arriving in New Zealand but before refugee status determination.
- Better managing asylum claimants who act in bad faith; and
- Better managing claimants who fail to attend biometric appointments
“Currently, if a person who has claimed refugee status has been convicted of a serious crime in New Zealand before status determination, Immigration New Zealand is unable to take that into account when making a decision,” Stanford said.
“There are currently 14 refugee known claims from people who have been convicted of serious offences in New Zealand, including murder, serious sexual and drug offences, and arson. This change will mean that Immigration New Zealand can take convictions for crimes committed in New Zealand into account when making a decision on their refugee claim.”
The proposed amendment would ensure equal treatment for individuals committing serious crimes, whether offshore or within New Zealand, prior to refugee decisions – sending a clear signal that criminal behaviour will not be overlooked.
“New Zealanders want us to do our part to provide refuge to people who are genuinely fleeing conflict and persecution. However, the privilege of being offered a life in New Zealand needs to be balanced with consequences for people who abuse that privilege or make non-genuine claims that seek to take advantage of the system. These proposals strike the right balance between these.”