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The Spike or Victoria University College Review 1945

Enemy Aliens

Enemy Aliens

Broadly speaking, any person who is or has been a national of a State with which we are at war, becomes an enemy alien in a strict legal sense. We will not unduly lengthen our) argument by enumerating the many other groups classified as potential enemy aliens by emergency regulations. These include, under certain circumstances, even persons who are British born and have never been outside of New Zealand. We submit, however, that the refugees to whom we refer are entitled to be classified under an entirely different category. Even if we were inclined to classify them nationally, we would find that they were no longer Germans. The application of the Nuremberg Laws rendered most of them page 33 stateless. Opposition to the National Socialist creed meant deprivation of German nationality. We suggest there can be no justification for regarding these refugees as enemy aliens. This war has not been fought between nationalities. It has been a war between opposing ways of life. If you wish—a war between Nazis and anti-Nazis. All genuine refugees were anti-Nazis. As such, they were entitled to our help. They were entitled to march side by side with us against the enemy. They took the first impact of Nazi oppression. Whilst they were suffering, we regarded their fate as so much "cable news." What a travesty of justice to regard them as enemy aliens.

How could we be sure that all refugees were genuine? A perfectly fair question. A tribunal, presided over by a Supreme Court Judge, assisted by a painstaking and able staff of police officials enquired into their bona fides. In case of doubt, the State had the, benefit—and rightly so. Unfortunately, others who, were given their freedom, were still branded as enemy aliens, and submitted to restrictions of movement. Those restrictions have continued, in our view, unreasonably. In Australia, after due enquiries, all whose conduct had been considered satisfactory, were granted naturalization. We urge that such a policy should be immediately adopted in New Zealand. The benefits to be derived would not be one-sided. The refugees have surely been kept in cold storage long enough.