Born and raised in New Zealand, 18-year-old faces removal to India — a land he has never seen or spoken the language of
Wellington: Navjot Singh, an 18-year-old of Indian origin, is fighting to stay in New Zealand — the only home he has ever known. Born in the country but denied citizenship, Navjot now faces deportation to India, a place he has no connection to and whose language he cannot speak, reported timesofindia.indiatimes.com.
Community leaders call Navjot “a child of New Zealand” as lawyers deem the deportation ruling inhumane
Navjot’s ordeal began early in life. His father was deported to India just five days after his birth, and his mother lost her legal status when he was five. By the age of eight, Navjot learned he would be excluded from basic rights such as education, healthcare, and employment in New Zealand due to his immigration status.
Now an adult, Navjot faces the grim prospect of being uprooted from the only country he knows and sent to India — a nation where he has no family, no network, and no ability to communicate. Legal experts have described the decision as “inhumane,” urging New Zealand to follow citizenship protection frameworks similar to those in Australia and the United Kingdom.
The Supreme Sikh Society and local community members have rallied behind Navjot, calling him an integral part of New Zealand’s multicultural identity and a victim of the country’s rigid immigration system. His case has reignited debate over the human impact of deportation policies on children born and raised without legal recognition.
