New Zealand and Samoa have vowed to do more to combat the flow of drugs through the Pacific, which prime minister Christopher Luxon says has become a “super highway”.
Luxon and his Samoan counterpart La’aulialemalietoa Polataivao Leuatea Fosi Schmidt have signed memorandums of understanding for Police and Customs to work together and share more information.
The agreement would see dedicated New Zealand Police officers embedded in Samoa.
Both Luxon and La’auli were under no illusions as to the challenges the Pacific faced.
“We have recognised that border risk … the fast-paced problem of illegal drugs crossing our borders is on the rise,” La’aulialemalietoa said.
“We’re up against it. We’re up against crime families in South America that are doing extraordinary things now to send drugs into our region,” Luxon said.
“And actually, the border and the security is the Pacific. It’s not just the New Zealand border alone as well. So, it’s very important that we work together.”
Later, Luxon watched a demonstration of a drug seizure by two detector dogs donated by New Zealand, as part of the Pacific Drug Detector Dog Programme.
A combined effort to combat transnational crime is something Luxon would be bringing with him to Tonga on Tuesday afternoon, as he flew in for a meeting with prime minister Lord Fatefehi Fakafanua.
But Luxon said he was also keen to talk energy security and was preparing to discuss how officials could work together in that space as well.
It was likely the calls for visa waivers will follow Luxon to Nuku’alofa.
La’aulialemalietoa, community leaders, and Samoan media had all lobbied for Pacific visitors to be treated the same as those from 60 other countries and be given visas on arrival.
But Luxon appeared unlikely to budge, for now.
“You see what happens around the world when immigration gets out of control, and it’s not legal and it’s not managed. We have, very much, a risk-based approach to it all. We’re trying to liberalise what we can do in the Pacific, and we’ll continue to look at it.”
Luxon would also be keen to put the matter of his matai title behind him as he left Samoa, after the Samoan government admitted neither Luxon nor any of his representatives had requested it.
Luxon said it was a” miscommunication”, and he had moved on, but would not say if Samoa’s government had apologised.
At a gala dinner on Monday evening, La’aulialemalietoa said the controversy was “
nonsense” and advised Luxon to ignore it.
“Do not worry about the nonsense on Facebook. Let the village of Apia sort it out, and handle it with respect,” he said.
“It is normal for us here,” he said.
