The Australian and New Zealand Green parties have lodged a complaint with the Australian Human Rights Commission over the deportations of New Zealanders.

Malcolm Turnbull is flying to New Zealand on Friday for his first international visit since taking over as prime minister. His counterpart John Key, whom Turnbull described as a “good friend and role model”, warned he would issue Turnbull with an “extremely direct” message on the deportation of New Zealanders from Australia.

The Greens parties from both sides of the Tasman have raised objects to the tough laws, saying they endangered the “special relationship” the countries share.



“There is serious potential for human rights abuses under these new laws,” Australian Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young said. “I hope that the Anzac spirit isn’t jeopardised by the rashness of the Coalition government’s obsession with political point scoring on immigration.”

The Australian government amended the Migration Act in December last year to allow for the deportation of long-term residents who had been jailed for one year or more, leading to a spike in the number of New Zealanders who had their visas cancelled.

Some of those awaiting deportation have been living in Australia for decades.



Turnbull was unwavering on the policy when he spoke to reporters in Sydney on Friday.

“I look forward to discussing this issue with John Key, but it is very important that we maintain our standards, our security,” Turnbull said. “We do have a principle which is enshrined in statute, that people who have been convicted, foreigners who have been convicted of serious criminal offences, have the automatic revocation of their visa.”





The Green party in New Zealand is especially concerned about the human rights of those detained on Christmas Island, which is fast becoming the Australian government’s detention centre of choice for criminals awaiting deportation.

“New Zealanders in detention are being bullied by guards, there is a lack of access to medical treatment, they are not able access legal support and a number are subject to arbitrary detention,” New Zealand Greens spokeswoman on human rights, Catherine Delahunty said.



Key has vowed to make the issue the centrepiece of talks with Turnbull, who will leave Australia for Auckland on Friday, returning on Saturday.

“The Anzac bond means that there’s a special relationship there that surely means we might get some treatment that’s different from other countries, and what they might do with other countries is up to them,” Key told Radio NZ late last month. “It’s a bit little bit like the Australians saying, ‘well, we’re going to pick and choose, we’re going to keep the ones we like but we’re going to send back the ones we don’t like.”

“We also deport people but not in the sense that Australia are talking about, and I do think Australia has to think about this from the long haul in both the way New zealanders are treated long-term in Australia, and also this issue,” Key said.

Tiny group marching along Pipitea St in Wellington protesting Australia's treatment of Kiwis in detention centres: pic.twitter.com/zpUNKaJkdt — RadioLIVE Newsroom (@LIVENewsDesk) October 15, 2015

Key estimated about 1,000 New Zealanders could be deported under the tougher immigration laws.

“But I think when it comes to New Zealanders, the threshold’s currently set in the wrong place,” he said.

Forty, or 14% of the 285 detainees in Christmas Island detention centre, are New Zealanders, the immigration minister, Peter Dutton, told reporters last week.

“Anybody can return to New Zealand tomorrow if they want, but, in some cases, they will be here for a prolonged period because they are appealing the cancellation through the courts,” the immigration minister said. “That is their right, obviously and they can pursue that.”

Guardian Australia has contacted Dutton’s office for clarification on reports another 40 to 50 New Zealanders are due to be transferred to Christmas Island in the coming days.

The immigration minister acknowledged the centre was being used increasingly as a holding cell for high-risk offenders, such as bikie gang members, raising safety concerns for some of the less dangerous detainees sent to the facility.



New Zealand’s opposition leader, Andrew Little, has warned Key against treading lightly when discussing the issue with Turnbull.

“This is not a time to be slapping each other on the back, talking about the wonderful relationship, giving cursory attention to the real issues facing New Zealanders there,” he told Radio NZ.

Key was more circumspect.

“The one thing I would say is we need to negotiate with these guys, not put them in an armlock, because if we try to put Malcolm in an armlock, what will end up happening is he will actually have to face the domestic politics of his own people,” Key told Radio NZ.