A New Zealand-based couple who have been stranded while on their honeymoon in Fiji have been turned away from four flights home because they have the "wrong visas".
Abdulla Mohsin and Catherine David, originally from Britain, relocated to Auckland in January 2019 for a job opportunity, the BBC reported.
Mohsin had been recruited to government housing agency Kāinga Ora on a "work to residence" visa which requires him to work in New Zealand for two years to earn permanent residency.
The couple left for their honeymoon in Fiji on March 7 when there were no travel restrictions in place.
The New Zealand borders then closed to international travellers on March 19 to limit the spread of COVID-19.
David told BBC they have been refused entry back into New Zealand.
"We were told at the airport, 'You can't come in, you're not a resident'. But we live there.
"All our worldly belongings are there, we've lived there for the last 16 months. I'm completely emotionally drained by all this."
Mohsin says there have been four opportunities to fly but they have been turned away at baggage check-in each time.
"We're stuck in Fiji, with a suitcase of holiday clothes, I still have to pay rent in New Zealand, for a house I can't currently live in.
"I'm still paying bills, I'm still paying taxes on my income, but I'm not allowed to enter the country.
"The New Zealand Government recruited me, and they've severely failed in their duty of care to provide us with the correct visas to return to the country."
He says his biggest fear is the island might not have the healthcare facilities needed to take care of them if the pandemic gets worse.
A spokesperson for Immigration New Zealand told BBC the border is closed for anyone who is not a citizen or resident.
But they said exceptions are "in place for extreme circumstances".
New Zealanders who have been able to fly home during the pandemic are required to go into a minimum 14-day quarantine at a Government-funded hotel to stop the spread of the virus.
The rest of the country is currently in lockdown for a month, with the Government deciding on Monday whether the country will then go down to alert level 3 or stay on level 4 for longer.
