The Immigration Department was asked to look at the decision by New Delhi-based immigration officials to deny visas to some members of an Indian business delegation to New Zealand, New Zealand Trade Minister Phil Goff said Friday.
There are reports that up to 20 business people in an Indian delegation of more than 30 have been denied entry visas to New Zealand.
Goff said until the government has received the facts from New Delhi, where the decision was made to deny the visas, "it would be premature to reach any conclusions about whether the visas denials were or were not justified."
He said the Indian government was aware of the denials before the mission proceeded but has made no approach to New Zealand about the decisions.
The oppositional National party is demanding answers for what could be "a hugely embarrassing diplomatic blunder" with India.
National MP Tim Groser said Friday that the group was invited by the New Zealand-based joint India New Zealand Business Council.
He said while trade with India is not large, India's world trade is surging and the visa situation looks like a massive bureaucratic blunder.
Source: Xinhua
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