“The closing of the border I thought gave us an extra two years of normality, which was only shared by Australia.”
75–84-year-old Pākehā female, Wellington
Some people agreed that closing Aotearoa New Zealand’s international border to visitors was a necessary step to protect the country from COVID-19.
Some praised how this was done, while others suggested that if another pandemic occurs, the border should be closed even faster.
“While banning direct traveller entry was very inconvenient for some, it was a measure that reduced the spread from overseas sources.”
85+ Pākehā male, Wellington
“During the pandemic, a loved one was diagnosed with cancer. I knew that if I left where I was, I might not be able to get back. In the end, my loved one passed away and I wasn’t able to go and say goodbye.”
35–44-year-old Pākehā female living in Australia during the pandemic
People who told us they supported border restrictions said they helped give Aotearoa New Zealand a period of normalcy while the rest of the world was struggling.
Others stated that international travel restrictions had too much of an impact. New Zealanders based overseas, or with overseas family, people with travel plans that got disrupted, and, above all, those who needed to travel to be with seriously unwell or dying loved ones, or attend funerals or tangi, were the groups people often talked about.
Many New Zealanders based overseas told us of their struggle to be able to return, often because they couldn’t secure a spot in MIQ. People said that citizens should never be ‘locked out’ of their home country, and sometimes added that residents should have been allowed to come home while borders were closed to non-citizens. People who struggled to return also told us of feeling alienated or excluded from Aotearoa New Zealand's response (for more on MIQ).
Seafarers from Aotearoa New Zealand told us about the difficulties they faced getting back into the country, and the impact this had on their mental health, and their ability to support themselves and their families. People suggested ‘blue corridors’ should have been set up as part of the country’s border management strategy, so that Aotearoa New Zealand seafarers could fulfil offshore contracts and international seafarers could pass through Aotearoa New Zealand.
“Closing the border was initially appropriate. As an island nation, it was an option we had available to us. This soon became untenable, especially with the lottery of the isolation/quarantine system. We did not see our son who lives overseas for four years because of this.
It locked people out of the country, and caused them to lose homes and jobs. This really was unacceptable.”
55–64-year-old female, Waikato
“I personally spent months away from my family because I was unable to return and when I finally did return, I was told that I would not be able to leave. When the borders finally reopened, I had less than $1,000 left in my bank account. I was unable to receive any financial assistance from the Government in the form of COVID-19 grants, because my income has been earned overseas for the last 15 years, meaning I spent seven months burning through all of my savings.”
35–44-year-old male seafarer, Auckland
