OPOTIKI welcomed two new citizens of New Zealand at Tuesday’s Opotiki District Council meeting.
Miroslawa Matthews and Ratchanee Dokpuang were supported by friends and family at the ceremony, and took the oath of allegiance to receive their certificates of citizenship.
Ms Matthews hails from the United Kingdom and has lived in New Zealand for nearly 10 years, the last five to six years in Opotiki.
She is happy to have gained citizenship saying: “Now I’ll get the same passport as the rest of the family.”
Ms Dokpuang has lived in New Zealand for the last seven years and decided to take the next step and apply for citizenship a few months ago.
“It feels really good, I’m a Kiwi 100 percent now,” she said.
She comes from Thailand originally, but said the natural beauty of New Zealand was one of the big reasons that drove her to make the move.
“New Zealand is so beautiful, with the mountains and all the greenery.”
Council chief executive Aileen Lawrie said it was a privilege for the district of Opotiki to conduct the ceremony and to welcome the women as fellow citizens of New Zealand.
Mayor John Forbes said the ceremony was an important occasion in their lives, and for the district.