New Zealand welcomed 24 new citizens at Government House today, and celebrated 27,000 people who were granted citizenship last year.
The Governor General hosted a ceremony at Government House in Auckland for 24 people to become New Zealand citizens on Waitangi Day.
New citizens making their Oath of Affirmation today at Government House in Auckland #WaitangiDay pic.twitter.com/E8VqKBcNp2
— Governor-General NZ (@GovGeneralNZ) February 6, 2016
Citizenship ceremonies also took place in Hamilton and at Ōnuku marae in Akaroa.
Department of Internal Affairs spokesperson Jeff Montgomery said the Waitangi Day ceremony provided a visible link between New Zealand's founding document and modern day citizenship.
Most new citizens were from the UK, South Africa and the Philippines.
