Dorothy Brown An 18-year-old born and raised in New Zealand, Navjot Singh, is facing deportation to India after his request for residency was rejected. Navjot, who has never set foot outside Aotearoa and considers it his only home, is now at risk of being sent to a country where he has no connections and does not even speak the language.
Navjot’s predicament is the result of immigration rules that ended automatic citizenship by birth for kids born in New Zealand after 2006, if their parents did not hold lawful immigration status. Born in Auckland in 2007 to Indian-born parents who overstayed their visas, Navjot’s father was deported just five days after he was born, and his mother’s legal status was revoked in 2012 when Navjot was five.
His situation came to light when he was eight years old, realising he would be denied access to education, healthcare, and basic rights in the only country he has ever known. Now, both scared and uncertain about the future, he fears being sent to India—where he has no relatives or support, doesn’t speak Hindi, and has no school qualifications. He worries survival would be near impossible, especially after hearing that even graduates struggle to secure work there.
Navjot’s most recent application for residency, which sought ministerial intervention, was rejected by Associate Immigration Minister Chris Penk. Immigration lawyer Alastair McClymont has labelled the decision “inhumane” and is urging a fairer approach. He argues that deporting someone who has grown up here to a foreign country makes no sense, and points to Australia and the UK, which grant citizenship to children who have spent ten years living locally.
Community leaders, including Daljit Singh from the Supreme Sikh Society, have rallied behind Navjot, insisting he is part of the local community. The Immigration Minister’s office has stated there is no current review underway for children in Navjot’s position but notes individuals may appeal through the Immigration Protection Tribunal or ministerial paths.
Navjot’s plight has reignited a national debate around fairness and compassion in immigration policy, especially for young people who have only ever known New Zealand as home.
