Campaign leaders Anae Arthur Anae and Seiuli Tone Peseta are calling on Samoans worldwide to support a bill to reinstate New Zealand citizenship for Samoans who lost it in 1982.

This Friday marks the final day for public submissions. The Restoring Citizenship Removed by Citizenship (Western Samoa) Act 1982, which passed its first reading last month with support from all parties except National, aims to restore citizenship rights to Sāmoans born between 1924 and 1949.

Anae and Seiuli discussed their efforts to raise awareness of the bill with William Terite on Pacific Mornings, live from Apia with Anae emphasising their goal to galvanise support for the bill in Sāmoa.

"Our mission in Sāmoa is to get more people 'fired up' to understand the importance of making a submission," Anae stated. "We've been pushing this hard with the select committee for the past week."

He added, "It's crucial that the select committee sees that Sāmoans and their global supporters back this bill."

Seiuli, after meeting with major church groups, held a press conference last week. He appreciated the local media's positive response and the role of church communities in the campaign.

"It was a momentous occasion for us. It's the first time we've had a press conference since we started this campaign," Seiuli said. "The media was quite positive, and they asked good questions, especially about the groups involved."

Discussing a recent visit to a church with over 800 delegates, Seiuli noted, "It was a great opportunity for people to understand this campaign."

Anae called on all New Zealand parties to support the bill, highlighting the long-standing contributions of Sāmoan communities to Aotearoa. He pointed out the coalition government's support from NZ First and ACT as a strong message to the National Party to "wake up and smell the roses."

"This is your chance to change your stance. Sāmoans have significantly contributed to New Zealand in every aspect of life. We have put New Zealand on the global stage in sports, opera singing, and more. Can you keep denying this? I don't think so."

Seiuli noted that over 700,000 Sāmoans live worldwide, with 200,000 residing in New Zealand. He urged Sāmoans to voice their support for the bill.

"We need at least a hundred thousand votes or even two hundred thousand submissions," Seiuli encouraged.