US travel ban: Countries have the right to decide who can cross their borders, Peters says
Photo:
RNZ / Samuel Rillstone
Winston Peters says countries have the right to choose who enters their borders in response to reports that the Trump administration is planning to impose travel restrictions on three dozen nations, including three in the Pacific.
But Labour's deputy leader Carmel Sepuloni says the New Zealand foreign minister should push back on the United States' proposal.
Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu have
reportedly been included
in an expanded proposal of 36 additional countries for which the Trump administration is considering travel restrictions.
The cable was first reported by
The Washington Post.
A State Department spokesperson told the outlet that the agency would not comment on internal deliberations or communications.The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Peters said countries have the right to decide who can cross their borders.
"Before we all get offended, we've got the right to decide in New Zealand who comes to our country. So has Australia, so has...China, so has the United States," Peters said.
He said New Zealand will do its best to address the US security concerns.
"We need to do our best to ensure there are no misunderstandings."
Peters said US concerns could be over selling citizenship or citizenship-by-investment schemes.
Vanuatu runs a
"golden passport" scheme
where applicants can be granted Vanuatu citizenship for a minimum investment of US$130,000.
Peters says citizenship programmes, such as the citizenship-by-investment schemes which allow people to purchase passports, could have concerned the Trump administration.
Photo:
123RF
Peters said programmes like that could have concerned the Trump administration.
"There are certain decisions that have been made, which look innocent, but when they come to an international capacity do not have that effect.
"Tuvalu has been selling passports. You see where an innocent...decision made in Tuvalu can lead to the concerns in the United States when it comes to security."
However, Sepuloni wants Peters to push back on the US considering travel restrictions for Pacific nations.
Labour Party Deputy Leader Carmel Sepuloni.
Photo:
RNZ / Angus Dreaver
Sepuloni said she wants the foreign minister to get a full explanation on the proposed restrictions.
"From there, I would expect him to be pushing back on the US and supporting our Pacific nations to be taken off that list," she said.
"Their response is 'why us? We're so tiny - what risk do we pose?'"
Massey University associate professor in defence and security studies Anna Powles said Vanuatu has appeared on the US' bad side in the past.
"Back in March Vanuatu was one of over 40 countries that was
reported to be on the immigration watchlist
and that related to Vanuatu's golden passport scheme," she said.
However, a US spokesperson denied the existence of such a list.
"What people are looking at...is not a list that exists here that is being acted on," State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce said, according to a transcript of her press briefing provided to
BenarNews
.
"There is a review, as we know, through the president's executive order, for us to look at the nature of what's going to help keep America safer in dealing with the issue of visas and who's allowed into the country."
Powles said it is the first time Tonga has been included.
"That certainly has raised some concern amongst Tongans because there's a large Tongan diaspora in the United States."
She said students studying in the US could be affected; but while there's a degree of bemusement and concern over the issue, there's also a degree of waiting to see how this unfolds.
Trump signed a proclamation on 4 June
banning the nationals of 12 countries from entering the United States
, saying the move was needed to protect against "foreign terrorists" and other security threats.
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