WELLINGTON, July 10 (Xinhua) -- The New Zealand government is extending the border exception criteria to enable some offshore victims and support people of the Christchurch mosque attacks to attend the sentencing of the accused beginning on Aug. 24, Immigration Minister Iain Lees-Galloway said on Friday.
"We want to support our valued Muslim brothers and sisters who were directly affected by this tragic event and understand that some who are now offshore do want to attend the sentencing," Lees-Galloway said in a statement.
"We have quickly established a process to allow victims and a family member or support person to come to New Zealand using new humanitarian grounds. This is within our intent for the use of this provision," he said.
The minister said he was mindful that the time it may take individuals to submit an application, together with the limited commercial airline flights and the managed quarantine requirements, do make the logistics of getting to New Zealand in this timeframe a challenge.
The Ministry of Justice has been working with the Court to put in place technology options to enable victims who are overseas and unable to travel to view the sentencing hearing and read a Victim Impact Statement remotely.
He said New Zealand wants to assure that the country is united in "condemning this act of terrorism."
The terrorist attack in Al Noor and Linwood mosques in Christchurch on March 15, 2019, the worst in New Zealand history, left 51 people dead. Enditem
