The Niuean government is supporting a family’s battle to allow the father to be able to travel to New Zealand.
Nigerian man John Asanso is a respected businessman who’s been living in Niue since 2006 but because of a mistake more than two decades ago is unable to travel here.
Asanso came to New Zealand in 2002 using his uncle’s passport – an action he regrets and one he fronted up to right away.
He moved to Niue after his appeal failed – but his relationship with his late Niuean partner failed as, once there, he wasn’t allowed to return to New Zealand.
Over the last 18 years, Asanso has built a life for himself in the country. The Niuean resident owns two businesses and he and his wife Saofia have four children together.
But he’s still unable to travel to New Zealand which means he’s trapped on the island as the only flight out is to Aotearoa.
“I am not able to go anywhere but this is home for me. I’m not trying to move to New Zealand – all I’m pleading for is the opportunity to see my kids growing,” he told 1News.
Asanso has been unable to travel with his athletic children to watch them compete in New Zealand. His son has also been accepted into a top New Zealand school next year but he wont be able to help his child settle in. When his wife Saofia went through breast cancer, he was unable to travel with her to Auckland to help her through the treatment.
“I couldn’t support my wife when she went through all the screening and all the tests on her own,” he said.
Saofia Asanso wept as she spoke of the pain that her husband felt at not being able to travel with his own family.
“A lot of the time, I hide how I feel just because he is hurting more than me,” she said. “I get to leave. I get to see the kids but it’s just more pain because I think even though he committed a crime, all his dedication – to the family, the community, his friends, especially my mum and brother – I think he deserves a second chance,” she said.
Her mother Daphne Niuloa said she considers Asanso a son and a loving family man who has built them a home and herself a granny flat out the back.
“I don’t make excuses for himself. He recognises the damage he’s done to himself. It’s extended to his children, his wife – all of us as a family,” she said.
“Weve got a huge family in New Zealand. They don’t know John, they’ve never seen him. It’s hard for the children to see their father like that.”
The family’s lawyer, Richard Small from Pacific Legal Immigration Law, said he’s put in an application for citizenship as all Niueans are New Zealand citizens – or at least temporary visas so he can come in and out of the country with his family. The application is currently with Associate Immigration Minister Chris Penk.
Niue’s Immigration Minister Crossley Tatui has written a letter supporting Asanso’s application and there are other glowing references from community leaders because over the last 18 years in Niue, he’s been a director with the Chamber of Commerce, has two flourishing businesses, and is on the Government Liquor and Tender Boards.
Small said it’s incomprehensible that someone as upstanding as Asanso is still being punished for something he did more than 20 years ago.
“Here is an example of road testing that relationship – are they (the New Zealand Government) really listening to what the Niue Government are saying and have said many times: that he poses no risk and should be able to spend time with his family in New Zealand when he needs to but return to Niue to continue their businesses – that’s his livelihood, his home,” he said.
