A study carried out in 1985–86 revealed the prejudice of the Dawn Raids, showing that while Pacific peoples comprised only one third of overstayers, they constituted 86 percent of all prosecutions for overstaying. In contrast, citizens from the United States and the United Kingdom, who also made up almost a third of those overstaying, represented only five percent of prosecutions.13 The research also discovered that Tokelauan, Niuean and Cook Islands people, as New Zealand citizens, were threatened with deportation. The Dawn Raids were recognised as discriminatory because of the disproportionate emphasis on investigating Pacific communities despite the majority of overstayers being British or Australian citizens.14 The Rise of Pacific “Communities” economic needs. The Council established education resources and multicultural centres while Pacific communities lobbied for a stand-alone Ministry. Cultural identity, community, unity, courage and the resilience of Pacific peoples enabled them to stand up for their rights despite the systemic barriers which, intended or not, marginalised, discriminated and victimised them.15 The establishment of the Ministry of Pacific Island Affairs in 1984 (now known as the Ministry for Pacific Peoples), recognised the significance of Pacific peoples to Aotearoa New Zealand. The agency was to deliver welfare and jobs programmes to Pacific communities around the country. At the same time, the Pacific Business Trust was established to administer small loans to Pacific people wanting to establish businesses. In 1975, Pacific communities established the Pacific Island Advisory Council to address their socio- Pacific people living in Realm countries There are three Pacific nations, the Cook Islands, Tokelau and Niue, which are members of the Realm of New Zealand, whose citizens are also New Zealand citizens. While human rights issues within the Pacific island countries are not the focus of this paper, the Human Rights Commission is interested in the rights of citizens in the Realm countries, as these nations do not receive the same level of human rights protections as people in New Zealand, despite being New Zealand citizens.16 In 2010, a Parliamentary Select Committee report, the Inquiry into New Zealand’s relationships with South Pacific Countries,17 commented on the existing constitutional arrangements: 13 14 15 16 17 8 ... In many ways they are not working, and they need to be seriously reviewed at a Government-to-Government level, and in the communities of Cook Islanders, Niueans, and Tokelauans in New Zealand and in their home islands ... we are deeply concerned that there are island communities of people with New Zealand citizenship who receive services of lower standard—particularly regarding health and education—than those available to people living in New Zealand in similar-sized population centres. Te Ara, The Encyclopaedia of New Zealand. 2015. Immigration Regulation. Accessed at https://teara.govt.nz/en/ immigration-regulation/page-6. https://nzhistory.govt.nz/culture/the-1970s/1976. Anae, M., Tamu, L., Iuli, L. (2015). Polynesian Panthers: Pacific Protest and Affirmative Action in Aotearoa NZ 1971– 1981. ISBN: 9781775502050. Role of the New Zealand Human Rights Commission in Pacific Islands including Tokelau, the Cook Islands and Niue, https://www.hrc.co.nz/files/8914/2398/5044/Commission-role-in-Pacific-realm-nations-for-web.pdf. Inquiry into New Zealand’s relationships with South Pacific countries (I.4A) (10 December 2010) https://www.parliament. nz/en/pb/sc/reports/document/49DBSCH_SCR4945_1/inquiry-into-new-zealands-relationships-with-south-pacific. Talanoa: Human rights issues for Pacific peoples in Aotearoa New Zealand