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A South African man who had moved to New Zealand and applied for residency there has been told he will have to leave due to the fact that he is overweight.
The man had tried to meet the requirements and shed more than 60 pounds to avoid extradition, but to no avail.
The man now weighs 286 pounds. New Zealand, which has socialized medicine, does not allow anyone with preexisting conditions, including obesity, to obtain residency in the country, to avoid 'health immigration' from those people who seek free medical care.
The man and his wife had moved to New Zealand from South Africa six years ago. They had moved to Christchurch. He was at the time 160 kg. He now weighs 130.
The couple says however, that the New Zealand immigration office is applying stricter codes to applicants than they did when they first got there. In fact, they renewed their residential permit year after year and never mentioned his weight. Only now they have brought up the issue to deny the reissuance of the permit.
The Immigration agency's representative responded to queries on the matter by saying that " It is important that all migrants have an acceptable standard of health to minimize costs and demands on New Zealand's health services."
The irony is that the man weighed much more when he was accepted the first time he applied than he does now.
Interestingly enough, a recent OECD report listed New Zealand as the third most obese developed nation behind the United States and Mexico.
Source : France 24/ 7.27.13
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