Hyderabad: Senior Catholic Church leaders of New Zealand have extended support to nine Indian students facing deportation from the country.
According to reports reaching Hyderabad, capital of the Indian state of Telangana, leaders of Catholic, Anglican and Methodist Churches have publicly opposed the deportation of the students, saying they did not think their intention was to deceive the New Zealand government.
Four of the students are from Telangana and the rest from Punjab, Telangana Today reported.
The New Zealand immigration officials have decided to deport them because their agents in India had submitted fraudulent bank loan documents.
Archbishop Philip Richardson said after reviewing the situation, they believe that these students were duped by travel agents in India, and are against the unfair treatment meted out to them by immigration officials, media reports said.
Cardinal John Dew asked the New Zealand government to act according to “our Christian responsibility to care for ‘the stranger, the widow and the orphan’ among us.”
The students have refused to leave the country after their appeal to the immigration minister was declined and took sanctuary in an inner-city church in Auckland.
According to several reports, a decision is expected next week on whether the students can stay in the country. The nine students and a toddler were staying at Ponsonby Church in symbolic sanctuary.