To the Honourable Associate Minister of Immigration,

We, the undersigned, urgently request that you follow the Immigration and Protection Tribunal recommendation and grant Joshua Meets an exemption from New Zealand’s Acceptable Standard of Health (ASH) policy and allow him to remain with his family in Aotearoa New Zealand. We also call for the end of the discriminatory ASH policy, which unfairly penalises migrants and refugees with disabilities or medical conditions and their families, breaching New Zealand’s international obligations under the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD).

Background
Joshua is a seven-year-old boy who has been living with his family in Aotearoa, New Zealand, since February 2020. His mother, Ingrid Meets, is a dedicated Commerce and Social Studies teacher at Mahurangi College, filling a critical skills shortage in New Zealand’s education system. Joshua has been diagnosed with Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome, a rare form of epilepsy. While his family initially did not know the severity of his condition upon their arrival, The Minister of Immigration has now used this diagnosis to reject his residence visa application, despite the Immigration and Protection Tribunal (IPT) recognising the family’s special circumstances and recommending the Minister to grant him residency.

Why Joshua Should Be Allowed to Stay
New Zealand’s International Commitments: Under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) and the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), New Zealand has committed to upholding the rights of children and disabled individuals. Deporting Joshua contradicts these commitments and would result in inadequate healthcare and educational support for him in South Africa.

A Family That Contributes to New Zealand: Ingrid and her husband, Jaap, have built a life here and contribute significantly to New Zealand’s workforce. Ingrid fills a critical teacher shortage, and Jaap holds a skilled position. The Ministry of Education actively recruits teachers from overseas with incentives of $10,000 to relocate, yet New Zealand is willing to lose a proven, high-quality teacher due to outdated and discriminatory bureaucratic barriers. Their departure would be a loss to our community and our country.

Joshua’s Best Interests: Returning Joshua to South Africa would harm his well-being. He receives high-quality healthcare and educational support in New Zealand that would not be available in South Africa, severely impacting his quality of life and prospects.

Flawed Decision-Making Process: Associate Minister Chris Penk initially declined the family’s residence visa despite having a conflict of interest, as Ingrid lives and works in his electorate. Although he later recused himself, the damage was done by then. Minister Erica Stanford has since refused to reconsider the case, leaving the family in a precarious situation with no clear path forward.

The Need for Policy Change: The Acceptable Standard of Health policy is outdated and discriminatory. For instance, it disproportionately affects migrants with disabilities or medical conditions. Many migrants, like Joshua’s family, invest significant time and money to relocate to New Zealand only to be unfairly penalised for medical diagnoses made after arrival. A more compassionate and equitable approach is needed to prevent future injustices like this.

Our Call to Action
We urge the Honourable Associate Minister of Immigration to:

Grant an exemption for Joshua Meets, allowing him to stay in New Zealand with his family.

Abolish the Acceptable Standard of Health policy to align with New Zealand’s commitments to human rights, ensuring that individuals with disabilities or medical conditions are not unfairly discriminated against.

Recognise that families like the Meets contribute significantly to New Zealand and should not be forced to leave due to rigid and outdated policy.

We, the undersigned, stand in solidarity with Joshua and his family and demand urgent action to correct this injustice.

Please sign this petition to help Joshua stay in New Zealand and advocate for a fairer, more inclusive immigration system.