New Zealand has declined a proposal by the Cook Islands to introduce a separate passport for its citizens while retaining New Zealand citizenship.
The Cook Islands, a self-governing Pacific nation in "free association" with New Zealand, relies on Wellington for its foreign affairs and defense. Cook Islanders currently enjoy the right to live, work, and access healthcare in New Zealand.
Prime Minister Mark Brown advocated for Cook Islanders to have their own passports "to recognize our own people," but New Zealand clarified that such a move is only possible if the Cook Islands achieves full independence.
Documents obtained by local broadcaster 1News and Reuters revealed that Brown had been pursuing separate passports and citizenship for months while hoping to maintain the Cook Islands' status as a realm country of New Zealand.
Approximately 100,000 Cook Islands nationals reside in New Zealand, compared to around 15,000 on the islands themselves. Those who have lived in New Zealand for at least one year can vote and run in New Zealand elections and referendums.
The issue has created tensions between the two nations, with leaders engaging in numerous discussions. In November, Brown argued, "New Zealanders are free to carry dual passports... it is precisely the same thing that we'll be doing."
However, some Cook Islanders criticized their government for insufficient consultation on the proposal. Thomas Wynne, a Cook Islands national based in Wellington, told Cook Islands News: "The real question is what do the people of the Cook Islands want, and have they been consulted on this critical decision? Or will it be a decision made by the few on behalf of the many?"
Others expressed concerns that separate citizenship might jeopardize access to services like healthcare in New Zealand.
On Sunday, New Zealand's Foreign Minister Winston Peters ended the debate, stating that a separate passport and citizenship are available only to fully independent and sovereign countries. He added that any significant change to the current relationship would require a referendum.
"Such a referendum would allow the Cook Islands people to carefully weigh up whether they prefer the status quo, with access to New Zealand citizenship and passports, or full independence," Peters said.
He also affirmed New Zealand's readiness to discuss independence if the Cook Islands government initiates such a conversation.
Prime Minister Brown later assured that the Cook Islands would not implement any measures affecting its "important status" with New Zealand.
The Cook Islands shares a similar arrangement with New Zealand as Niue, another self-governing Pacific island. Globally, other self-governing territories exist under similar frameworks, including Greenland and the Faroe Islands under the Kingdom of Denmark, and Puerto Rico, which relies on the U.S. for defense and foreign affairs.
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