Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has formally apologised to Pacific communities hurt by the Dawn Raids in the 1970s.
The Dawn Raids resulted in the deportation and prosecution of many Pacific Islanders, even those who remotely looked Pasifika, despite many overstayers at the time being British or American.
At a ceremony in Auckland on Sunday the Prime Minister also announced education scholarships as part of the apology and support for Pacific artists and historians to develop a comprehensive written and oral account of the raids.
University of Auckland senior research fellow Dr Melani Anae and Manukau councillor Efeso Collins spoke to Susie Ferguson.