NATURALISATION LAWS

Press, Volume XCV, Issue 28265, 1 May 1957, Page 6

NATURALISATION LAWS

Reply To Dutch Complaint

(New Zealand Press Association) WELLINGTON, April 30. The Secretary of Internal Affairs (Mr A. G. Harper) said today that he knew of no case of a naturalised alien being left stateless after his New Zealand citizenship had been withdrawn. Mr Harper was. commenting on a statement made at Invercargill by a member of the Dutch community. Mr D. R. Rinckes. Mr Rinckes was reported to have said that some non-Eritish settlers were reluctant to apply for naturalisation because it could later .be withdrawn on certain grounds. Those deprived of their citizenship could become stateless persons, he said. Mr Harper said today that the same question had been raised before, and a detailed reply had been made last year by the Minister of Internal Affairs (Mr S. W. Smith). He said that the Minister had stated that only a handful had been deprived of their citizenship, and there was no case of a person being left stateless. Mr Smith had said that New Zealand legislation on the deprivation of citizenship was similar to that in other Commonwealth countries. The New Zealand legislation was no more restrictive than that of most other countries, and much- less so than many. Mr Smith had also quoted figures to show that Dutch settlers were not reluctant to seek naturalisation. Of the number of notices of intention to apply for naturalisation between April 1, 1954, and July, 1956, about 43 per cent, came from Dutch settlers. Mr Smith was not available to make .further comment today on Mr Rinckes’s statement.