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A fear of the southern family -family for their child’s future after refusing residence because their health problems are considered a burden on New Zealand’s health and special education system.
Joshua Meets, whose family has lived in New Zealand for almost five years, has a complex seizure disorder, delay in development and is not verbal it means that it requires care 24 hours a day.
This meant that the family’s request for residence was refused and its future in the country was uncertain.
But the family said New Zealand was now their house and they were concerned about their son’s medical care if they had to return to South Africa.
The five -year -old family moved to Warkworth’s house in 2020 – for a desire to leave the crime and instability of South Africa and a love for All Blacks.
“We received some money and decided what we’re going to do, and Jacob said we go to New Zealand,” Ingrid Meets said.
“He always admired All Blacks, and liked the sportsman and what they represent. So that’s when we decided it will be New Zealand.”
Now they may have to leave the country because of Joshua’s health.
Ingrid said the process of trying to get residence was incredibly difficult.
“It’s been so hard. It seems that we are so unwanted, because we are fighting the system. We are trying to get approval and we are trying to reach the next step.
“It’s very challenging because we still need to work daily. We still have to live a normal life.”
The family received three -year visas to enter the country without problems, but once it was time to apply for residence, the need for 24 -hour Joshua was signaled as a problem.
They appealed to the Immigration and Protection Court, which weighed on the case and found that there were special circumstances that favored the family in New Zealand and sent the case to the immigration minister to make the final decision.
However, Associate Immigration Minister Chris Penk declined his appeal.
Ingrid rejected the idea that Joshua was a burden and said the government was blaming immigrants for failures on its own system.
“It is not the fault of children that there are not enough resources, and I know, I work in the educational system. I see it daily. But I feel that Joshua is not the burden.”
She said it was also important to consider the family’s contribution to her community.
“With the way it is written, as if we were draining, pressing educational and doctor, it seems that we are just taking from the system …
“But we are adding as citizens. We are adding love. We are adding to the community. In our daily lives, we add something to the system – and then very important also our tax money.”
Jacob gathers with his nonverbal son Joshua, whose seizures were signaled as a problem when the South African family requested residence.
Photo: Nick Monro
Ingrid said the family has been active in his community in Warkworth since he moved, usually helping at the local rugby club on Saturday mornings.
Joshua’s father, Jacob Meets, said New Zealand was now at home for the family.
“The boys have been in New Zealand for longer than in South Africa … This is home. This is home to me, this is my wife’s home.
“If we have to go back, we will have to immigrate back to South Africa, it’s not just coming back.”
He said it would be terrible for Joshua’s education and care if they had to go back to South Africa.
“Joshua will have to stay at home and just be excluded from society.
“My wife is a teacher – in 20 years, not once she saw a child coming with special needs. They don’t exist, we don’t know where they go.”
Ingrid is a business teacher at Mahurangi College in Warkworth.
Photo: Nick Monro
Director Tony Giles said that business study teachers were very difficult to find, and if Ingrid had to leave New Zealand, it would be a great loss to school.
“We announced this position several times. We have not had candidates from New Zealand for several years.
“In fact, our three business teachers come from abroad. So our chances of replacing someone as Ingrid would be quite light.”
There was still some hope for the family to stay in New Zealand.
Joshua’s current visa ends in July and they can make a final appeal for humanitarian reasons – which would be decided by the Immigration and Protection Court, not by the minister.
The Associate Minister responds
Vanessa Sharatt family immigration consultant said Verification point Ingrid was essential to filling a job where New Zealand had a critical skill curve.
“This family has given up a lot from New Zealand to fill a severe shortage that New Zealand has.
“If the government issues a five -year work visa for migrants and their families entering land and being part of the solution to this scarcity of critical skills, the financing of education and health sectors needs to accommodate the requirements of migrants who also pay taxes in this country.
“You can’t have both sides.”
Sharatt said that although Joshua’s needs were extensive, the cost of his care was heavy against the benefit of having his family in the country, including Ingrid’s work.
She said she also took into consideration other factors, including Joshua’s current support regarding the care he would have in South Africa.
“New Zealand has obligations as a signatory to the rights of the UN Convention of Children and the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and you cannot move away from it.”
Sharratt wondered why Penk refused his visa when it was concluded that there were sufficient special circumstances in Joshua’s case to grant him.
“In my opinion, he should have approved the visa.”
She pointed out that Penk was actually the electorate deputy of the meetings.
“So, in fact, what he should have done was to refuse and Minister (Erica) Stanford should have made the decision … because there is potentially a conflict of interest.”
Stanford, immigration minister, also refused the appeal, but Sharratt said that if New Zealand wanted migrants to fill out skills, it was not fair to expect them to get their lives, come to New Zealand and are expected to return to their home country if something goes wrong.
She said Joshua was only two years old when her family received visas and at that time he was free of seizures, having been dismembered from his medication for seizures.
It was only after the meetings were in New Zealand for two years that the boy was diagnosed with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome, a severe form of epilepsy.
Currently, the family had new visas of temporary entry of five years, but Joshua’s visitor was still being evaluated and, if refused, the family would fight against deportation, but Sharratt said it expected the court to direct New Zealand’s immigration to grant the visa.
In a statement, Penk said he maintained a policy of not commenting on the circumstances of individual cases.
He said he was not signaled with him that the family lived in his electorate before making his decision and he would expect it to be raised ahead of time.
Penk reiterated this expectation for the immigration of New Zealand.
Stanford found that his decision was appropriate and that the case of the family would not be considered even more.
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