Waitangi Tribunal finds citizenship law breaches Treaty of Waitangi rights

Friday 31 October 2025 · 4 outlets · 4 reports · updated Fri 31 Oct 2025, 12:06pm

In this story Waitangi Tribunal

The Waitangi Tribunal has ruled that the Citizenship Act 1977 breaches Te Tiriti o Waitangi by failing to recognise Māori as tangata whenua. The current law limits citizenship by descent to one generation, preventing some Māori children born overseas from receiving automatic citizenship. The Tribunal has recommended that these rights be extended.

How they headlined it

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1. NZ HeraldFri 31 Oct 2025, 10:00am

   Waitangi Tribunal calls for extension to citizenship rights for Māori, rules legislation breaches Te Tiriti o Waitangi (opens in new tab)

2. StuffFri 31 Oct 2025, 10:00am

   Māori children denied NZ citizenship under outdated law, Waitangi Tribunal finds (opens in new tab)

3. RNZFri 31 Oct 2025, 10:49am

   Māori man seeking citizenship for kids should be granted it, Waitangi Tribunal finds (opens in new tab)

4. 1News via RNZFri 31 Oct 2025, 12:06pm

   Māori man seeking citizenship for kids should be granted it - Waitangi Tribunal (opens in new tab)