Kiwi UFC champion Israel Adesanya and some of his gym mates have been left “stranded overseas” due to the new managed isolation travel voucher system, Auckland's City Kickboxing says.
Adesanya travelled to the US late last month alongside gym teammate Brad Riddell to be cornermen for Carlos Ulberg while he fought for a UFC contract in Dana White’s Contender Series in Las Vegas.
While Ulberg was successful, the trip is now ending on a sour note with the trio now unable to return to New Zealand.
“They were scheduled to arrive back in New Zealand on Monday 9 November, but the recently introduced managed isolation voucher system meant they couldn’t secure a place in quarantine until December 15 th ,” City Kickboxing said in a statement.
“The tickets were booked in late September before the new system was introduced while the Kiwi UFC team, including management were overseas for Adesanya’s middle weight title defence against Paulo Costa.
“They arrived back in New Zealand and quarantined until mid-October, missing most of the awareness campaign the Government began in late September.
“Unfortunately the athletes received no direct notification from the airline or the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment that they required a travel voucher to return. The management team became aware of the requirement after they left and the earliest they were able to secure vouchers was December 15.”
City Kickboxing said the situation has serious consequences for all three fighters and others at the gym.
“As a consequence Adesanya will not be able to join in Junior Fa’s boxing training camp for the Joseph Parker fight nor take part in several scheduled charity appearances.
“Riddell’s partner is in the final stages of pregnancy and there is some concern he may not make the birth of his first child.
“Ulberg is facing the loss of his employment, and must now extend his visa to avoid becoming an illegal alien in the United States when his VISA expires on November 18.”
Israel Adesanya is calling the shots as his cornerman. (Source: Other)
All three athletes have also been forced to move out of the secure UFC managed isolation facility and into public accommodation.
Air Commodore Darryn Webb, the head of managed isolation and quarantine, said in a statement yesterday the Managed Isolation Allocation System [MIAS] only became compulsory last week after a grace period of one month was provided for Kiwis to adjust to the voucher process.
An MBIE spokesperson added a campaign advising travellers of the system had been in effect before that, running since September 25.
"MIAS helps us manage the timing of people entering New Zealand so we can guarantee their place in a managed isolation facility, which is necessary to keep them and all New Zealanders safe."
Webb also confirmed yesterday approximately 100 more rooms will be available before Christmas with a massive demand expected for the festive season.
City Kickboxing’s founder and head trainer Eugene Bareman said he supports stricter border controls but feels the situation could have been managed better.
“There are people in far worse situations than ourselves and we really feel those with dying or sick relatives or children, people who’ve lost jobs or homes who are now facing even greater stress due to the lack of capacity in quarantine.
“Clearly there’s been an oversight if people like us who booked while overseas, prior the system being introduced weren’t informed by either the airlines or immigration as soon as the system went live.”
Bareman added more needs to be done to handle the situation as a whole, not just for his fighters.
“Given the Government is effectively using airlines to screen people for vouchers before allowing them to board a plane for NZ, it difficult to understand why the airlines weren’t also compelled to contact people with pre-existing bookings scheduled to arrive after November 3rd.
“The lack of capacity is also concerning, an influx of people returning home at Christmas is entirely predictable, and you have to question why more focus wasn’t put on increasing that capacity.
“I want to be clear that we support the Government’s efforts to keep New Zealand Covid-19 free, however it seems there were gaps in communications and capacity planning which will see many New Zealand citizens unable to return and undergoing more anguish in what has already been a difficult year.”
“The team is not asking for special treatment, they simply want to draw attention to the plight of many Kiwi citizens in more difficult situations than they are in, and we don’t currently believe is being voiced.”
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