The families of Kiwis stuck overseas are calling for compassion and flexibility as tales pour in of heartbreak and increasing desperation, with people clamouring for spots in managed isolation.
Trevor Ponting’s friends and family were devastated after the Ministry for Business, Innovation and Employment declined his emergency application for a spot in managed isolation, despite him having just months to live.
The decision for Ponting, who has terminal brain cancer, was overturned yesterday amid a flurry of questions by media.
Yvonne Pointing says her brother hoped to come home one last time to say goodbye to his mum. (Source: Other)
“We were elated and just grateful to everyone that helped us,” his sister, Yvonne Ponting, said.
Ardern said Ponting’s case has “warranted the minister to ask officials to look again and that sounds right to me”.
MBIE says the most urgent reason applications are accepted are serious health risks or a child needing care.
Since October, there have been 1642 emergency applications, of which 609 have been approved. A further 1033 have been declined.
In the last week, 54 per cent of applications have been declined.
Since airing Ponting’s story, 1 NEWS has been inundated with tales of other Kiwis in desperate situations overseas, including teenager Batu ‘Rocky’ Waite, who has been stuck in Indonesia for over a year.
Rocky has been caught in a bureaucratic tangle due to holding dual Indonesian and New Zealand citizenship.
His distraught Taranaki-based father, Tom Waite, says he just wants to come home and learn a trade.
“Imagine if it was your kid and this is what dads are supposed to do,” he said.
Waite says Rocky feels trapped and he is worried about his mental health.
“He's asthmatic, he's locked up in his house and he's terrified that he's going to die,” he said.
The Foreign Affairs Ministry says the New Zealand Embassy in Indonesia is providing Rocky with consular support.
However, with his passport due to expire in October, the situation has become more urgent.
“They won't let anybody near an aircraft unless you've got all your ‘t’s crossed and your ‘i’s dotted. He's in the too hard basket,” Waite said.
The six-month wait for MIQ spaces is adding to the stress, but the Government will not be adding more spaces.
“With every person that returns, that is an increase in risk to New Zealand,” Ardern said.
Yvonne says families "need compassion," however.
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