A New Zealander who was deported from Christmas Island says he is facing a $7500 bill for his flights back into the country.
One of the charter planes used to transfer New Zealand deportees from Christmas Island. Photo: RNZ / John Campbell
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Johnny Anderson said he received the bill from Australia's Immigration Department, for the costs of flying him from the detention centre to Perth last Thursday and on to Auckland by charter flight with 14 other deportees yesterday.
Yesterday, Justice Minister Amy Adams said she accepted Australia's assurances that no deportee would be required to pay any charge.
She also accepted the assurance that no person's appeal against being deported would be prejudiced once they were back in New Zealand.
The discussion arose after a form to be signed by deportees came to light, which said they would incur a debt for removal and any appeal could be discontinued once they were in New Zealand.
Australia's immigration minister Peter Dutton said yesterday he had ordered changes to the form.
Mr Anderson, who has been living in Australia for 21 years and was jailed for six years for grievous bodily harm, told Checkpoint he was confused when he got the bill.
"I got that delivered to me the Friday of last week, just before they deported me, they come down and said, 'look we're gonna send you back and this is the bill that you're gonna be facing.'
"But my family in Australia are going to try and seek some legal advice for me, to see what we can do there."
Mr Anderson, who previously worked as a builder on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland, said he did not know what to do as he was not in a position to pay it.