DOIA REQ 0025745 Response Letter.pdf

8 May 2026

Ref: DOIA-REQ-0025745

Agnes Fecher
Email: fyi-request-33334-84d7ﬀc6@requests.fyi.org.nz

Tēnā koe Agnes

Thank you for your email of 19 December 2025 to the Ministry of Business, Innova4on and Employment
(MBIE) reques4ng, under the Oﬃcial Informa4on Act 1982 (the Act), the following informa4on:

1.  Any reports, assessments, briefings, or analytical material held by MBIE that discuss the presence,
prevalence, or risk of extremist ideologies in New Zealand comparable to those publicly attributed
to the Bondi [beach attack] attacker, insofar as those views are characterised in official reporting
as violent, extremist, or posing a threat to public safety.
2.  Any high-level estimates, trend analyses, or qualitative assessments (whether quantitative or
descriptive) held by MBIE regarding the number or proportion of individuals in New Zealand
assessed as holding such views, where such information already exists.
3.  Any definitions, frameworks, or criteria used by MBIE to categorise or assess such ideologies for
policy, regulatory, or public-safety purposes.
4.  Any inter-agency communications, briefings, or advice to Ministers prepared by MBIE following
the Bondi [beach attack] that reference implications, parallels, or relevance to New Zealand.

We also note the clariﬁca4on you provided in your email of 10 February 2026:

“I just want to clarify that my request is around the Bondi Beach a-ack, not Bondi Junc/on.
Addi/onally, to help you further locate a source for the informa/on contained in the OIA, I'd like
the Ministry to iden/fy data as it pertains to Immigra/on and the iden/ﬁca/on of ideologies held
by immigrants.
Context: It's important to note that just like the Christchurch a-acker, the Bondi Beach Gunmen
brought extremist ideologies with them from overseas. I'd like any informa/on we have around
this contemporarily important issue, for example how we iden/fy extremist ideologies and values
held immigrants, and how we are dealing with it.”

Decision and high-level context
In our 10 March 2026 le>er, we no4ﬁed you of our decision on your request for informa4on. The a>ached
documents, and context below, provides further narra4ve to your request.

In line with the above, we have interpreted your request as asking broadly about extremism in New
Zealand, rather than a par4cular form of extremism based on a speciﬁc belief, mo4va4on or ideology. Our
determina4ons regarding whether documents iden4ﬁed are in scope or out of scope have been informed
by this wide interpreta4on of your request.

Ques on 1
As background, aBer the March 15 terror a>ack the New Zealand Government began work on and in
2022, launched the Countering Terrorism and Violent Extremism strategy. MBIE’s role under this strategy
is through the work of Immigra4on New Zealand (INZ), one of MBIE’s business groups. INZ’s role within
the wider system is through the border with a focus on individuals seeking entry to New Zealand, rather
than overall trends of extremism within the country.

MBIE has an intelligence func4on that is primarily focused on suppor4ng INZ with its regulatory work,
including ac4ng as a liaison between MBIE and the New Zealand Security Intelligence Service (NZSIS) in
regard to informa4on about visa applicants who may pose a na4onal security risk to New Zealand if they
enter the country. Informa4on about such individuals may come via a number of sources, including
interna4onal partners, the NZSIS, or through internal mechanisms; further informa4on on this is provided
in our response to ques4on three.

In responding to your request, we have iden4ﬁed intelligence assessments and reports that discuss the
presence, prevalence, or risk of extremism within the New Zealand context (or risk to MBIE itself), and the
risk MBIE needs to mi4gate via the Immigra4on system.

The documents that accompany this le>er are all related to ques4on one. Some informa4on, and one
document in full, has been withheld under the following provisions of the Act:

  6(a), as releasing the information would be likely to prejudice the international relations of the
Government of New Zealand,
  6(c), as releasing the information would be likely to prejudice the maintenance of the law,
including the prevention, investigation, and detection of offences within the Immigration system.
  9(2)(a), to protect the privacy of natural persons.

Regarding the withholding of informa4on under sec4on 9(2)(a) of the Act, I do not consider that the
withholding of this informa4on is outweighed by public interest considera4ons in making the informa4on
available.

Par al transfer
We have iden4ﬁed some documents held by MBIE in scope of ques4on one that are authored by other
agencies. On 10 March 2026 we made a par4al transfer of ques4on one to the NZSIS under sec4on
14(b)(ii) of the Act, as we believe the material is more closely connected with the func4ons of the NZSIS.

Ques on 2
ABer conduc4ng a reasonable search, we have not iden4ﬁed any documents that detail high-level
es4mates, trend analyses, or qualita4ve assessment on the propor4on of individuals who hold extremist
views within the Immigra4on system or the New Zealand popula4on in general. We are therefore refusing
this part of your request under sec4on 18(e) of the Act as the informa4on does not exist.

Ques on 3 & Clariﬁca on
The INZ Opera4onal Manual, which contains the immigra4on instruc4ons that people who want to come
to New Zealand permanently or for a short 4me must follow, including the criteria they must meet, is
publicly available here: www.immigra4on.govt.nz/opsmanual/#35439.htm.

The following sec4ons in the manual have been iden4ﬁed relevant to your request, and we are therefore
including speciﬁc links below for your informa4on:

  Character requirements - http://inzkit/publish/opsmanual/#35052.htm

  Character checks - http://inzkit/publish/opsmanual/#45181.htm
  Police certificates - http://inzkit/publish/opsmanual/#41439.htm
  Summary of character requirements - http://inzkit/publish/opsmanual/#35056.htm
  Visa applicants must meet character requirements - http://inzkit/publish/opsmanual/#35053.htm
  Who must not be granted a visa or entry permission -
http://inzkit/publish/opsmanual/#35058.htm
  Convictions, false information and other matters which may cause applicants not to meet
character requirements for residence - http://inzkit/publish/opsmanual/#35058.htm
  Applicants normally ineligible for a residence or temporary entry class visa (risk to reputation) -
http://inzkit/publish/opsmanual/#35059.htm

As part of the requirements for gran4ng a visa or entry permission to New Zealand, applicants must be of
good character; and not pose a poten4al security risk. This requirement is set out in Immigra4on
Instruc4on A5.1 Visa applicants must meet character requirements:
www.immigra4on.govt.nz/opsmanual/#35053.htm.

Immigra4on Instruc4on A5.20 details who must not be granted a visa or entry permission. This includes
any person who is subject to sec4on 16 of the Immigra4on Act 2009. This includes any person who the
Minister has reason to believe:

  is likely to commit an offence in New Zealand that is punishable by imprisonment; or
  is, or is likely to be, a threat or risk to security; or
  is, or is likely to be, a threat or risk to public order; or
  is, or is likely to be, a threat or risk to the public interest; or
  is a member of a terrorist entity designated under the Terrorism Suppression Act 2002.

These provisions may apply where an applicant is deemed to hold views that are considered violent,
extremist, or that would, or would be likely to, pose a threat to security (including public safety) or public
order. The assessment of this is undertaken on a case-by-case basis by INZ oﬃcials who hold the
necessary delega4on with the informa4on provided by the applicant, or the Minister and Associate
Minister of Immigra4on.

In addi4on, there are provisions in the Immigra4on Instruc4ons at A5.25(d) which state a person will not
be granted a residence class visa if they:

  at any time in a public speech or public comments, or public broadcast, or in publicly distributing
or publishing a document, argued that one race or colour is inherently inferior or superior to
another race or colour; or used language intended to encourage hostility or ill will against any
person or group of persons on the basis of colour, race or ethnic or national origins of that person
or group; or
  have been, or are, a member of (or adheres or has adhered to) any organisation or group of
people which (at the time of the person's membership or adherence) had objectives or principles
based on:
o  hostility against people or groups of people on the basis of colour, race, or ethnic or
national origins; or
o  an assumption that persons of a particular race or colour are inherently inferior or
superior to other races or colours.

These provisions may apply where an applicant holds views that are considered violent or extremist.

Na onal security checks for visa applicants
Some visa applicants are subject to na4onal security checks by the NZSIS. The NZSIS provides advice and
guidance to New Zealand border agencies on any actual or poten4al border-related threats, and threats
from individuals who are seeking long and short-term visas for travel to New Zealand. There is further
informa4on about the na4onal security check process for visa applicants here: Na4onal security checks
for visa applicants :: Immigra4on New Zealand

Ques on 4
ABer conduc4ng a reasonable search, we have not iden4ﬁed any interagency communica4ons, brieﬁngs,
or advice to Ministers prepared by MBIE that reference implica4ons, parallels, or relevance to New
Zealand following the Bondi Beach a>ack. We are therefore refusing this part of your request under
sec4on 18(e) of the Act as the informa4on does not exist.

If you wish to discuss any aspect of your request or this response, or if you require any further assistance,
please contact [email address]. You have the right to seek an inves4ga4on and review by the
Ombudsman of this decision. Informa4on about how to make a complaint is available at
www.ombudsman.parliament.nz or freephone 0800 802 602.

Nāku noa, nā

Jacqui Ellis
General Manager Data, Insights and Intelligence
Data, Insights and Intelligence