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Criminal data pact reached as Australia steps up deportations of New Zealanders

Xinhua, September 30, 2015 Adjust font size:

Authorities in Australia and New Zealand have agreed to share information on deported convicted criminals in the wake of law changes that have seen hundreds of New Zealanders being held in Australian detention centers or deported.

New Zealand Justice Minister Amy Adams and Police Minister Michael Woodhouse said Wednesday an information sharing arrangement had been agreed with Australian Minister for Immigration and Border Protection Peter Dutton.

"A key issue when dealing with offenders being deported back to New Zealand has been obtaining reliable information about the individual and their current risk profile," Adams said in a statement.

"This information gap has been one of the barriers to ensuring that New Zealand agencies can effectively manage the risk of offenders deported back to New Zealand. By having a fuller picture about the backgrounds of offenders who return to New Zealand, we will be in a stronger position to monitor and supervise those who pose a serious threat to the public."

The arrangement would provide New Zealand agencies with up to six months advance notice of potential deportations, and provide for the sharing of information such as criminal conviction records, summary of offenses, case history, gang connections, fingerprints and photographs prior to arrival to help New Zealand better manage the return of New Zealand citizens.

About 300 New Zealanders are reportedly being held in Australian detention centers or have been deported since strict new visa laws to deport convicted criminals were introduced last year.

New Zealand Prime Minister John Key had indicated his intention to raise New Zealand's concerns around the scope of the deportation policy with Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull.

Key told Radio New Zealand Wednesday that he had a "pretty blunt" conversation with Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop at the ongoing United Nations General Assembly gathering in New York.

He said Australia had to think about the way it treated New Zealanders, including those who had committed crimes but who had no ties to New Zealand.

"There's people that have often spent their entire lives now in Australia, they went over there when they were very, very young," said Key. Endi