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National explores political interference claims in Behrouz Boochani's application

Author
Newstalk ZB,
Publish Date
Tue, 28 Jul 2020, 3:01PM
Behrouz Boochani has been given refugee status in New Zealand. Photo / RNZ
Behrouz Boochani has been given refugee status in New Zealand. Photo / RNZ

National explores political interference claims in Behrouz Boochani's application

Author
Newstalk ZB,
Publish Date
Tue, 28 Jul 2020, 3:01PM

Judith Collins is exploring claims of political interference from the Greens, in Kurdish-Iranian author Behrouz Boochani's refugee application.

The National leader says a number of issues have been raised with her and she's after answers.

"There's a lot of concern in New Zealand about what's considered as queue jumping."

She says she's asking questions of the Government today and is using the Official Information Act to find the answers.

Boochani arrived in New Zealand in November for a book fair and was met at the airport by Greens MP Golriz Ghahraman, herself from a refugee family.

The Prime Minister denies Behrouz Boochani being granted refugee status was a political move.

The famed author is known for his account about six years of his life in an Australian Detention Centre - on Manus Island.

He's been in the country for eight months, after initially being granted a visitor's visa.

Jacinda Ardern told Mike Hosking yesterday Mr Boochani entered the country in a legitimate way.

She says it's up to an independent tribunal to declare someone a refugee, it's not a political decision.

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