A Sri Lankan woman is stranded in the Cook Islands

The sole request of a 49-year-old Sri Lankan woman, stranded in the Cook Islands since 2023, is to somehow return to her homeland. She states that she is even willing to be taken into custody by immigration authorities in Australia or New Zealand for this purpose, to convince the authorities that her only goal is to travel through the airport to her home country.

According to the ‘Cook Islands News’ news service, the woman currently lives on Rarotonga, the most populous island in the Cook Islands archipelago. Under local immigration laws, she is currently overstaying her visa. However, Cook Islands authorities cannot help her leave the country either, as both Australia and New Zealand have refused to grant the necessary transit approval for her to travel through their countries.

New Zealand Immigration has stated that they do not believe the woman intends to merely transit through New Zealand. The Australian Department of Home Affairs has declined to comment on her issue, stating that any foreign national seeking to enter or remain in Australia must undergo identity, health, and security background checks under the 1958 Migration Act and 1994 Migration Regulations.

She faces this tragic fate after leaving Sri Lanka following her husband's murder. After working in Hong Kong for nearly a year, she managed to obtain a work visa for New Zealand in March 2023. While working there, she applied for political asylum. According to her, while that application was being considered, she received advice from a lawyer to leave New Zealand and return.

She states that she sought assistance from an organization named “Immigration and Secretarial Services” for this entire process, paying nearly USD 20,000 for it. In February 2024, Sylviane Gallant, the director of that organization, informed her that her issue was with New Zealand Immigration and advised her to seek legal assistance. She also mentioned that a request for ministerial-level intervention was being prepared.

Meanwhile, she also sought assistance from former New Zealand Associate Minister of Immigration Chris Penk, but as he no longer holds that ministerial position, the request was forwarded to the current Associate Minister, Cameron Brewer. However, Brewer's office has also declined to comment on the matter, citing privacy and legal concerns.

Currently, stranded in the Cook Islands without a valid visa, she sustains herself with the help of family relatives. Her attempt to travel through Tahiti was also unsuccessful. She states that if the necessary legal procedures are completed, she is willing to leave the country by ship instead of by plane. The story of this Sri Lankan woman clearly reflects the extremely difficult situation faced by an individual trapped between the immigration laws and regulations of various jurisdictions.