New Zealand-Born Teen Faces Deportation to India — A Country He’s Never Seen

An 18-year-old New Zealand-born teenager, Navjot Singh, is facing deportation to India, a country he has never visited, after the New Zealand government rejected his plea for residency.

Born and raised in Auckland, Singh has lived his entire life in New Zealand but holds no legal immigration status because his parents overstayed their work visas. Under New Zealand’s post-2006 immigration law, which abolished automatic birthright citizenship, children born to undocumented migrants are not recognized as citizens — even if they have never left the country.

‘I Don’t Think I’ll Survive in India’

Speaking to Radio New Zealand (RNZ), Singh expressed deep fear about being sent to a place he has no connection with.

“I don’t think I’ll survive in India,” he said. “I don’t speak Hindi. I’ve heard that even people with degrees can’t find jobs there — so what would I do?”

The teenager revealed that he discovered his undocumented status at the age of eight, when he asked his mother why he wasn’t allowed to attend school.

“Ever since then, I’ve been living in fear. I couldn’t even be honest with my friends,” he added.

A Childhood in Limbo

Singh’s father was deported when he was five days old, leaving him to be raised by his mother, who later lost her legal right to stay in the country in 2012. With no access to schooling or healthcare, Singh has spent much of his youth confined indoors, fearful of detection by authorities.

“You can’t go anywhere. You just have to stay home,” he said, describing his life as an overstayer.

His application for residency through ministerial intervention was denied last week by Associate Immigration Minister Chris Penk, sparking widespread public concern and criticism from immigration advocates.

A Contrast in Policy Decisions

Observers have pointed out the contrast between Singh’s case and that of another 18-year-old overstayer, Daman Kumar, who was granted residency earlier this year through ministerial discretion.

Kumar, who had lived in New Zealand for nearly two decades without a valid visa, argued that young people like him — born and raised in New Zealand — should not be punished for decisions made by their parents. Singh’s supporters are now calling for similar compassion in his case.

Legal Background and Broader Impact

The 2006 amendment to New Zealand’s Citizenship Act ended the practice of granting automatic citizenship to children born on New Zealand soil unless at least one parent is a citizen or permanent resident.

Immigration advocates argue that this policy has created a generation of stateless children, who grow up in New Zealand but are denied the rights to education, healthcare, and lawful residence.

Human rights groups have urged the government to reconsider Singh’s deportation, calling his situation “a moral failure of the immigration system.”

What Lies Ahead

For now, Singh awaits a final decision on whether his deportation order will be executed.

“I have no one in India,” he said. “New Zealand is the only home I know.”

The case has reignited debate over immigration reform, birthright citizenship, and the treatment of undocumented families who have lived in New Zealand for years.