The wife and children of a Kiribati man who failed to get climate refugee status are being deported today.
Angua Erika and her three New Zealand-born children aged between 2 and 7 are scheduled to leave the country this afternoon.
Ioane Teitiota had been fighting to stay since his visa expired in 2011, arguing his family faces serious threats from global warming and rising sea levels in Kiribati.
His case reached the Supreme Court, but was turned down, and he was sent home last week.
The family's lawyer, Michael Kidd, said the family home was abandoned this morning.
He said the problem with tough immigration policy was that families like Mr Teitiota's were not given enough time to say goodbye.