Tongan church leaders in New Zealand are looking for Samuela Manuofetoa who disappeared upon arrival at the airport.
Manuofetoa was hired under the Recognised Seasonal Employment (RSE) programme to work on an orchard in Hastings.
He failed to make it to Hastings when he arrived in New Zealand last month.
Kaniva News reports Manuofetao has now been declared an overstayer and if he is caught he will be deported to Tonga.
Manuofetoa’s disappearance as well as that of 15 other Tongan seasonal workers is of grave concern to Tongan authorities.
Prime Minister ‘Akilisi Pohiva visited New Zealand because he was concerned about the effect this would have on Tonga’s ability to continue sending workers under the RSE programme.
At a meeting in Auckland last week, Pohiva urged Tongan church and community leaders to help find and return Manuofetoa.
He told the meeting he had information some relatives were harbouring the absconders.
Fifteen seasonal workers failed to return to Tonga at the end of their contracts and are living in hiding in New Zealand.
Photo by Kaniva News