Register of deported offenders up and running

A register of deported offenders is now up and running for use by New Zealand government agencies.

The register was established to improve the oversight, supervision and support for offenders deported to New Zealand, particularly from Australia.

It lists people who have been, or are about to be, sent back to New Zealand after being convicted of a crime, serving a prison term or having their visa cancelled on character grounds.

Justice Minister Amy Adams said the register was one of three projects underway to ensure New Zealand agencies are well positioned to support deported offenders, and minimise potential risks to public safety.

"We're making good progress on all three work streams," said Ms Adams.

"The register will provide New Zealand authorities with greater oversight of who exactly is arriving here and when."

The new register builds on current efforts to manage deported offenders, which see police provide their districts with information received from other countries, she said. It ensures that local police have all the relevant information available about individuals who may settle in their district.

"The register is the first of three initiatives to help deal with this issue," Ms Adams said.

"Justice officials across a number of agencies have been tasked with developing a legislative supervision regime for offenders who are deported to New Zealand after serving a prison sentence overseas. In my view, we need the ability to impose similar monitoring and other conditions to those that would have applied if the sentence had been served in a New Zealand prison."

Officials across a number of agencies are also developing a formal information sharing agreement with their Australian counterparts about such offenders, which Prime Minister John Key and Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott agreed in February to develop.

"The proposed supervision regime will require more detailed information about deported offenders so that conditions can be tailored to their particular circumstances," said Ms Adams.

"This requires the co-operation of our Australian counterparts, and I'm hopeful the agreement will be finalised in the coming months."

The other work streams underway are the development of a legislative supervision regime for offenders and creating an information sharing arrangement on transtasman deportations which would enable New Zealand and Australian authorities to monitor deportations across the Tasman.

Add a Comment