Enforce immigration rules - Ryall

new-zealand-national-party

Sun Jul 16 2006 12:00:00 GMT+1200 (New Zealand Standard Time)

Enforce immigration rules - Ryall

Sunday, 16 July 2006, 1:44 pm
Press Release: New Zealand National Party

The Government must enforce its own immigration health rules to stem the flow of illegal migrants running up unpaid hospital bills, says National Party Health spokesman Tony Ryall.

He is commenting on reports that immigration officials are granting residence to foreigners despite medical advice that they will cost the public health service millions of dollars each year.
The three Auckland DHBs are reported to be owed over $4m from foreign patients.

"Many of these are sad cases, but we simply can not expect Kiwi taxpayers to pick up the bill when tens of thousands of New Zealanders are being culled from hospital waiting lists.

"People who are not entitled to get an operation in our public hospitals are getting an operation, while New Zealanders who should be getting an operation are being denied and dumped.

"The Immigration Service is failing to follow its own rules on who to admit into the country. Labour claims to have tightened up health screening of migrants, but there is little evidence this is working.
“Kiwi patients are carrying the cost of slack scrutiny by the Immigration Service," says Mr Ryall.

Ends

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