Thousands of new Kiwis

One of the biggest citizenship ceremonies of recent times will take place in Manukau on Thursday, 10 May 2007 evening at 6.30. At the ceremony at Sir Woolf Fisher Arena at the TelstraClear Pacific Centre, Great South Road, 1020 new citizens will be welcomed. Another 300 citizens will be welcomed at a Manukau ceremony on Tuesday next week.

The largest ceremonies ever held were also at Manukau in the late 1990s when 5,000 new kiwis were welcomed in two ceremonies.

“Citizenship manager, Geoff May, says the Manukau ceremony is one of many recent ceremonies. So far this year 9,502 people from more than 100 countries have become New Zealanders.

“Then, as now, the Department has been dealing with an increase in the number of citizenship applications, which happens from time to time.

“The Manukau City Council has always been amenable to making new citizens welcome. They do a good job of welcoming people and make room for each citizen to have a couple of family members accompany them,” Mr May says.

Of the 9,502 new citizens, there are 1719 from India; 1089 from China; 1007 from South Africa; 1002 from United Kingdom; 491 from Korea; 469 from Fiji; 390 from the Philippines; 302 from Samoa; 294 from Zimbabwe; 246 from Iraq; 146 from Malaysia; 135 from USA; 120 from Taiwan. Other groups are from Australia, Bangladesh, Egypt, Germany, Indonesia, Iran, Israel, Macedonia, Pakistan, Romania, Russia, Somalia, Scotland, Saudi Arabia, Thailand, The Netherlands, and Vietnam.

Media Contacts:
Tony Wallace 04 382 3437
Marguerite Fahy 04 382 3700