Kiribati family 'terrified' of going home

The lawyer for the Kiribati man who has lost his bid to be declared a climate change refugee says he and his family are terrified of returning home.

Ioane Teitiota has been fighting against deportation since 2011 but is due to be deported tomorrow. His wife and three children will follow a week later.

Mr Teitiota's lawyer Michael Kidd told Checkpoint the family was petrified.

He said there was a community meeting last night attended by 500 and the focus of concern was on the three children.

"Who are going back to king tides that wash through the whole place and water that's polluted by both sea water and human faeces."

Mr Kidd said Kiribati had no social welfare system and parents had to pay for schools.

And late today associate Minister for Immigration, Craig Foss rejected a request from Labour MP, Phil Twyford, to intervene in the case.

Mr Foss said he had received a briefing from Immigration New Zealand before deciding not to intervene.

Prime Minister John Key earlier rejected the family's bid to stay in New Zealand saying as far as the government was concerned Mr Teitiota was an overstayer.

Mr Teitiota is expected be flown out of New Zealand tomorrow.

Reverend Iosefa Suamalie delivered a petition opposing the deportation to Labour MP Phil Twyford at Parliament this afternoon.