The Australian citizenship pathway is being viewed as a simple solution to the 501 deportation issue.
Hundreds of thousands of New Zealand residents living across the Tasman will be eligible for citizenship come July.
Newstalk ZB Chief Political Reporter Aaron Dahmen says it's politically smart, as it also addresses the issue of criminals being deported here.
"If you have Australian citizenship, then you'll go through the Australian justice system, and you can no longer be deported under the guise of your Kiwi connection, even if you've spent your whole life in Australia."
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