3 Indian pilgrims to meet NZ immigration officials Thursday

Melbourne, July 17 (PTI) Three Indian pilgrims of the
39, who have disappeared on their way to Sydney to see the
Pope at the World Youth Day celebrations, are likely to meet
New Zealand immigration officials Thursday and provide leads
about the alleged immigartion scam, New Zealand Sikh Society
said.
"We have contacted about 15 missing pilgrims and are
in talks with them to come forward and discuss options of
their stay in the country. However, as of now we have been
able to convince only three to provide the facts to the
immigration officials," Daljit Singh, spokesman for New
Zealand Sikh Society told PTI over phone.
The missing men were not Sikh but from various
religions, he said, adding we are working with immigration
officials to get to the bottom of the alleged scam and find
out who all were involved.
The Sikh community, in New Zealand, was also spreading
the message for other lost pilgrims to come forward.
"I tried to convince them (on Sunday), they need to
leave to Sydney but they were telling us that they came to
stay here and the guy organising from India took their money
and said 'you can stay (in New Zealand) forever'," Singh said.
Meanwhile, chairman of the World Youth Day committee
for the Diocese of Auckland Maurice Boland, said there was "a
lot of hurt" among the families who have agreed to host the
pilgrims, the New Zealand Herald reported.
"The balance of the people who came from India have
been wonderful guests and they're terribly embarrassed
by what has happened," Boland said.
A Labour Department spokesman said that absconding
from their billets did not affect the missing person's right
to be in New Zealand.
"Their (missing persons) permit could only be revoked
if they found to have breached the terms and conditions of
their permit, like by seeking work here," the spokesmand said.
The pilgrims' permits allow them to stay until August
5 or 6, depending on the dates they arrived.