A group of missing Indians who travelled to New Zealand claiming to be on a pilgrimage are non-Christians who, as part of an immigration scam, conned Indian church leaders into believing they were devout Catholics. More than 30 Indian men aged between 17 and 35 are now believed to be in hiding, having paid $17,000 to an immigration agent in India who promised to obtain residency visas for them.
New Zealand Catholic churches have been hosting 4000 pilgrims in the run-up to World Youth Day. The pilgrims are then supposed to head on to the event in Sydney, which formally began yesterday.
It is understood about 2200 Indians were given 30-day visitor visas to spend time in New Zealand beforehand.
Some, however, disappeared from their billets soon after arriving in the country.
Many went out, saying they were simply going for a walk. They left their luggage and did not return.
Initially 32 Indian pilgrims were reported missing, but a further three disappeared yesterday, bringing the number of absentees to 35.
All of the men failed to board their flights to Sydney yesterday afternoon.
New Zealand Sikh Society Auckland spokesman Daljit Singh said he had been in contact with some of the men, who claimed to have paid thousands of dollars to an immigration agent in India.
Two of the men he had spoken to were not even Catholic and Mr Singh said he was upset by the group's behaviour, which he felt reflected badly on the Indian community in New Zealand.
"They are from all over India and every community. There are Catholics, Hindus and even one or two Muslims."
Five of the men were in Tauranga, while others had been seen wandering around Queen St in Auckland, approaching people of Indian descent for advice.
The men all had visas valid till August 5 or 6 and Mr Singh said he was planning to arrange a meeting between the men and immigration officials to encourage them to return home before their visas expired.
Catholic communications director Lyndsay Freer said the pilgrims had gone through a vigorous selection process in India, which would have required "serious dishonesty" to circumvent.
"It's really disappointing that World Youth Day, which is a wonderful celebration for young Catholics, appears to be used for a scam."
The church had 33 of the men's passports and the absconders would have few options, Mrs Freer said.
"They can't go anywhere ... except to ground."
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