New Zealand's Maori Party is promising an amnesty for overstayers as one of its policies for Pacific people.
Māori Party co-leaders Marama Fox and Te Ururoa Flavell. Photo: RNZ / Craig McCulloch
The party announced a number of Pacific-focussed policies last week, including refugee status for those affected by climate change and a number of social and education initiatives.
The Maori Party's co-leader Te Ururoa Flavell said their recent partnership with the One Pacific party ahead of the September election prompted them to adopt a strong Pacific focus.
He said an overstayer amnesty would allow Pacific people who are living in New Zealand without work visas to join the workforce.
"So they don't have to hide with the stigma of not having a visa to be here. Our understanding there's quite a number of them here. And we're trying to take that barrier away, take that stigma away and allow them to move into the workforce."