Wellington charity offers to escort Sri Lankan woman stuck in Cook Islands

A charitable trust in Wellington has offered to escort a Sri Lankan woman currently stranded in the Cook Islands through New Zealand and back home.

Cook Islands News first reported that the 49-year-old has been stuck in Rarotonga since at least February 2024, having been repeatedly denied a transit visa by both New Zealand and Australian immigration.

Tahir Nawaz from the Deen Welfare Trust said that athough he had never met the woman stranded in the Cook Islands, he felt compelled to act.

"There's got to be somebody there to do something. It shouldn't be just the news," he told RNZ Pacific.

Nawaz said he had been in touch with Immigration New Zealand (INZ) with an offer to escort her, promising to remain with her at all times and to keep within designated airside or transit zones.

He said he had a flight booked to the Cook Islands next week and is now attempting to make contact with the woman directly.

"I've been thinking about it, that person is so desperate. They want to be handcuffed and go."

The women told the Cook Islands News: "Living by myself for three years without seeing family is torture. It is a psychological nightmare. I genuinely want to return home. I have no intention to stay in New Zealand."

INZ had doubts over whether her intentions were genuine, given she had previously claimed asylum in New Zealand.

Nawaz, who supports recent immigrants and refugees looking to base themselves in Aotearoa, said it ignores a basic right of movement that all people have.

"They should be able to freely travel, and if there's a risk that they might claim asylum, that's where they should have some mechanism."

He added that he would like to see New Zealand's treatment of refugees improve overall.

"When the refugee comes here, they are generally given very heavy support when they come in for first two years," he said.

"What we experience that after two years, all of a sudden everything gets stopped.

He said that changes were needed.

"When we support our people here when they come in, there should be a good [work] pathway ... straight to contributing to the country."

INZ has previously declined to comment on the case, citing privacy concerns.