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Story: Immigration regulation

Immigration and the Treaty of Waitangi

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Immigration and the Treaty of Waitangi

The Māori chiefs who signed the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840 acknowledged that more immigrants would be coming to New Zealand from the United Kingdom, Europe and Australia. These places were named in the preamble to the treaty (pictured). Recently, some Māori have argued that they should, as treaty partners, be consulted about letting people from other countries settle in New Zealand.

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How to cite this page

Ann Beaglehole, Immigration regulation – Immigration policy: overview, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/document/1364/immigration-and-the-treaty-of-waitangi (accessed 3 June 2026).

Story by Ann Beaglehole, published 4 March 2009, updated 1 August 2015.