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| New Zealand airport |
For a long time, New Zealand had been a friendly and welcoming place for Israeli tourists to visit and work.
However, lately, the immigration authorities in New Zealand, began deporting Israeli citizens from their country as soon as they land.
Their reason is said to be a fear that Israeli citizens will stay in the country to work illegally.
Last week, at least 6 Israelis were refused entry to New Zealand. They were put on the first flight back to the country they came from.
Recently, during an immigration raid by the New Zealand authorities, several Israelis were caught working in malls illegally. They were all deported.
This is a drastic change in New Zealand’s approach to Israeli travelers.
In 2011, Israel and New Zealand signed an agreement allowing Israeli backpackers, who are below the age of 26, to legally work in in New Zealand for a year to finance their trip during their stay in the country.
The agreement called for granting 200 Israelis work permits, however, hundreds of Israelis applied for the work visas.
Due to the increased flow of young Israelis entering the country in search of work, authorities in New Zealand began giving them a less than warm welcome.
The Israelis who were deported from the country said that immediately after landing they were detained for extensive questioning at the airport.
During interrogation, the travelers were asked about the length of their stay, the amount of money in their possession, and were even asked to show a return ticket.
This was done to determine if they came to the country for the purpose of travel or work.
Those that were not considered credible were deported from the country immediately, and were banned from entering New Zealand for at least five years.
Due to the many cases of deportation, the Israeli Foreign Ministry issued a travel warning for New Zealand.
Immigration authorities also provided tips on how to avoid deportation. They recommend people to show a complete list of their planned trips, arrive with a return ticket and bring enough cash for the duration of their stay in the country.