New Zealand Turns Down Cook Islands’ Request for a Different Passport

The Cook Islands’ request for a distinct passport was denied by New Zealand, which demands complete independence before any changes can be made.

The Cook Islands’ plan to grant its citizens a separate passport while maintaining their New Zealand citizenship was rejected by New Zealand.

New Zealand claimed that separate passports for Cook Islanders would only be feasible if the Cook Islands gained complete independence, despite Prime Minister Mark Brown’s call for them “to recognize our own people.”

The self-governing Pacific nation of the Cook Islands is in “free association” with New Zealand, which manages its defense and foreign policy. Cook Islanders have the right to reside, work, and get medical care in New Zealand.

According to reports, Brown has been pushing for months for Cook Islanders to get their own passport and citizenship in order to keep the island nation’s status as a realm of New Zealand.

Only about 15,000 people dwell on the Cook Islands, compared to about 100,000 in New Zealand. Elections and referendums in New Zealand are open to anybody who has lived there for a minimum of one year.

According to sources, leaders from both nations have been having a number of talks in recent months over the subject of distinct citizenship, which has been causing tensions between the two nations to rise.

Some Cook Islanders, however, took issue with their government’s lack of input on the plan.
Winston Peters, the foreign minister of New Zealand, essentially put a stop to the discussion on Sunday when he declared that only completely independent and sovereign countries are eligible for distinct passports and citizenship.

He went on to say that a referendum would be necessary for any changes to the two nations’ relationship.

“The Cook Islands people would be able to carefully consider whether they prefer the status quo, with their access to New Zealand citizenship and passports, or full independence,” he said in a statement following the referendum.

“Of course, we are prepared for them to start the conversation if the Cook Islands government wants independence from New Zealand.”

Similar to New Zealand, Niue is a small Pacific island that is self-governing on an internal level but dependent on Wellington for international and defense matters.

Similar self-governing regions can be found around the world, such as Puerto Rico, which is under US foreign and defense authority, and Greenland and the Faroe Islands, which are a part of the Kingdom of Denmark.