Members of New Zealand’s Samoan community, including those now eligible for citizenship, came to Parliament to watch the bill pass third reading.
Photo: VNP/Louis Collins

The long-awaited reinstatement of the Samoan Citizenship Bill was officially adopted in Parliamentthereby creating a pathway for Samoans born between 1924 and 1948 to regain New Zealand citizenship.

The bill, passed unanimously on November 20, aims to address the impact of the Citizenship (Western Samoa) Act 1982, which revoked the rights of many Samoans to New Zealand citizenship.

While the bill’s passage was hailed as “historic” and celebrated by many in the Samoan community, for others its exclusion of the descendants of Samoans expected to benefit from the law sparked fierce debate.

Under the new law, only people born within the specified time frame are eligible, leaving the children and grandchildren of those people without a path.

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The famous Samoan photographer and visual artist Raymond Sagapolutele expressed his disappointment on social networks. Both of his parents, who could have been eligible, have since died.

“When I wrote about this, I thought about my mother if she was still alive,” Sagapolutele said.

“If I had said to him, ‘I’m angry about this, why aren’t you angry?’ she would have said, “What’s it going to make it better? It’s better to forgive and move on.”

“I don’t know if I’m quite ready to move on and forgive. It’s just the pettiness of the Muldoon government,” he said, referring to the administration that enacted the legislation of 1982 overturning the earlier decision of the Privy Council affirming the right of Samoans to New Zealand citizenship.

Green Party MP Teanau Tuiono addresses Parliament during the third and final reading of his Citizenship (Western Samoa) Amendment (Restoration) Bill. November 20, 2024
Photo: RNZ Pacific/Coco Lance

Despite the controversy, others welcome the bill.

Samoa’s former head of state, Tui Atua Tupua Tamasese Efi, and his wife, Filifilia, are among those eligible.

“It is a blessing for many of our elderly people. Fa’afetai i le Atua (Thank you, Lord).

“We belong to this category and we are going to apply,” Filifilia said.

Pa’u Roy Ausage, a community advocate, said the bill provides new opportunities for his father, now 82, to travel freely.

However, for his family, the moment is bittersweet.

“It’s nice in the sense that my father can now become a New Zealand citizen.

“And it’s bitter in the sense that my mother passed away seven years ago, and it’s hard knowing that she’ll never benefit from it.”

Others, however, believe the bill’s limited scope does not meet the needs of Samoan families.

Ruth Seryner Aliitasi Oloapu, whose 89-year-old father is eligible, highlighted the challenges of caring for elderly relatives left in Samoa without the support of their descendants.

“With 13 children among us, we hoped the law would extend to the offspring,” she said.

“Who will care for our aging parents if they move to New Zealand? It’s an extra burden on families like mine.”

Tuilaepa Sa’ilele Malielegaoi during the public consultation on the Samoa Citizenship Bill on July 1, 2024.
Photo: RNZ Pacific / Grace Tinetali-Fiavaai

Samoa’s former Prime Minister, Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi, echoed these concerns, calling the bill insufficient.

“It’s not enough,” he said. “We will continue to fight until all requirements are met.”

Efforts to restore citizenship rights have lasted decades.

In 2003, former National MP Anae Arthur Anae led protests after calls flooded her chat show on Radio 531pi.

Last week, Governor General Dame Cindy Kiro granted Royal Assent to the Citizenship Amendment Bill, officially making it law.

Reportedly, more than 300 applications were filed in the first week alone.

But for many, the bill remains a step forward and not a solution.