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Story: Asia and New Zealand

Certificate of registration for Delip Singh

Indians were British subjects, as India was part of the British Empire. Despite this, New Zealand placed restrictions on Indian immigrants in 1899, ignoring protests from the British government. The small number of Indian immigrants is indicated by the fact that the authorities didn't create a registration form for them. Above is the certificate of registration for Delip Singh, as required under the Immigration Restriction Amendment Act 1908. The certificate is the one issued for Chinese migrants, with handwritten amendments by the collector of customs.

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Archives New Zealand - Te Rua Mahara o te Kāwanatanga

Reference: L28 1 1

Permission of Archives New Zealand Te Rua Mahara o te Kāwanatanga must be obtained before any re-use of this material.

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How to cite this page

David Capie, Asia and New Zealand – Early 20th-century fears, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/zoomify/36226/certificate-of-registration-for-delip-singh (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by David Capie, published 29 May 2012.