After years of hardship, our family found happiness in NZ, but now, due to a visa issue, we are being forced to leave with nowhere to go
Nelson / Tasman
Dear friends,
Since 2019, we have emigrated 3 times, each time searching for a better life for our children. They have faced unhappiness, instability, and relentless bullying in schools along the way. When we arrived in New Zealand, everything changed—for the first time, our kids felt safe, happy, at home.
They love school, look forward it every day, have made so many friends. My wife’s employer was extremely happy with her work, and we truly believed we had found a place to call home. But now, that dream has been shattered.
After made redundant, Immigration NZ granted me a 6-month exploitation visa, with the hope of renewal. But when we applied, we were told that renewal was no longer possible. Now, my visa has expired, and with it, so have my wife’s and children’s visas.
We are not allowed to work—even applying for a visitor visa wouldn’t change that. Our original visas were valid until September 2026, but that has been ripped away from us. We have no choice but to leave.
If we don’t leave voluntarily, Immigration could issue a deportation notice, and the police could detain us, keeping us in a cell for days—possibly a week—until a flight is available. I cannot allow my children to go through such trauma.
We are humbly asking for any support you can give to help us afford the flights, temporary housing, and essentials we need to start over. Even the smallest donation means the world to us.
From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for your kindness and generosity.
The funds will be used for flights, temporary housing, basic necessities, and starting over in a new country where we have no home, jobs, or support system.
Heart felt thank you and desperate plea for help 17 March 2025
First and foremost, we want to express our deepest gratitude to everyone who has donated, big or small. Your kindness and generosity for our family during this unimaginable time. Every dollar, support, and share of our story has given us hope.
Recently, Stuff News approached me to share our story, shedding light on the injustice we are facing. Unfortunately, I was reported to immigration by an individual whose name I cannot mention due to ongoing legal threats. Immigration gave us a week to purchase tickets, or they would arrest our family and deport us—leaving all our belongings behind.
We managed to scrape together for tickets, but now we are facing an even greater fear: we will land with nowhere to go. No home, no funds for a hotel, no safety net. Everything we had planned for our future has been shattered by the cruelty of one person. The items we’ve desperately sold at the boot market have only been enough to feed our family for the day.
This is affecting my children. They don’t deserve this, to live in fear, to be thrown into a country where survival is a daily struggle. South Africa is not a place where you can simply sleep on a bench for the night. The reality we are facing is terrifying.
I am pleading for help, for my family. We need a miracle to ensure we are not left stranded with nowhere to turn. Your help and generosity will set is free a little.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/nz-news/360609890/family-four-who-lost-60k-better-life-nz-forced-leave
Thank you so much for your kind words and donations. Bless you
Thank you and bless you
Thank you, bless you
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