Covid 19 coronavirus: German border intruders in police custody before hearing

The three German sailors who broke New Zealand’s Covid-19 border restrictions are being held in police custody ahead of a court appearance this week.

New Zealand immigration officials are also making arrangements to return them to Germany by plane as soon as possible.

His 16-meter boat, Anita, arrived at Opua in the Bay of Islands on Friday afternoon despite being denied permission to enter the country by the Health Ministry.

“New Zealand’s border restrictions exist for a very good reason – to help stop the spread of Covid-19 and protect the health of the New Zealand population,” said Peter Elms, national manager of visa and border operations at Immigration NZ. .

“The action of these people to travel here without approval demonstrates a blatant disregard for New Zealand’s border restrictions and will not be tolerated.”

The Health Ministry said the three crew members had tested negative for Covid-19 and had been in isolation aboard their yacht for more than 14 days.

A New Zealand Immigration spokeswoman told the Herald on Sunday that they would remain in police custody for the weekend until they were brought before a court for a compromise order hearing.

This order would allow the sailors to be detained for up to 28 days, until a method is available to send them back to Germany.

Arrangements were being made for her departure from New Zealand by air, but due to the reduction in flight times as a result of Covid-19, this could take a few days, the spokeswoman said.

Elms said the crew had requested an exemption from the Covid-19 border restrictions, but decided to travel before obtaining approval.

“The request for a border exception was rejected and they decided to continue sailing to Opua independently. None of the crew members requested an immigration border exception for themselves.”

The crew informed the ministry that they intended to continue their journey to New Zealand. That information was passed on to Customs, which intercepted the ship on Friday afternoon.

Anita was met by the New Zealand Customs patrol vessel Hawk V and escorted to a quarantine dock at Opua Marina.

The Customs spokeswoman said the vessel was responsible for the seizure and the tax liability and was in Customs control for further investigation.

A ship tracking website says Anita had last docked at Taiohae on the island of Nuku Hiva in French Polynesia.

The 4000-kilometer journey to the Bay of Islands took two months and 18 days, the website says.

A spokeswoman for the Health Ministry said the crew had requested the humanitarian exemption and repair of the ship.

“While there were aspects of the case that were regrettable, they did not reach the threshold of dire humanitarian need.

“As much as our country is known for its hospitality, New Zealand cannot become a Covid-19 maritime haven for everyone in unfortunate circumstances.”

Elms said the refusal to enter New Zealand could have long-term consequences for the crew. Your visa waiver status could be suspended and it could affect your ability to travel to other countries.

“Rapid response to this situation should send a clear message to others who might consider doing something similar. Attempting to violate New Zealand’s border controls is serious business and will be dealt with accordingly.”

The ban on foreign vessels was relaxed in early September to allow entry of foreign cargo or fishing vessels into New Zealand, or vessels to which the director general of health had granted an exemption.

The vessels needed a compelling reason to obtain an exemption, such as refueling or refueling or handing over to a company for repair or refurbishment. Waivers could also be granted for humanitarian reasons, but are unlikely to be granted solely for financial losses or for vessels “overwintering”, a common practice for ships during the Pacific cyclone season.

To obtain exemptions, a crew must also have been isolated aboard their vessel for at least 14 days since they left their last port or joined the crew. Any crew must also obtain a negative Covid-19 test before entering the community.

If someone wanted to go ashore, they had to get approval from a health doctor and all the other crew members must have tested negative.