Three Indian pilgrims to meet NZ immigration officials

"We have contacted about 15 missing pilgrims and are in talks with them to come forward and discuss options of their stay in the country. However, as of now we have been able to convince only three to provide the facts to the immigration officials," Daljit Singh, spokesman for New Zealand Sikh Society said.

The missing men were not Sikh but from various religions, he said, adding we are working with immigration officials to get to the bottom of the alleged scam and find out who all were involved.

The Sikh community, in New Zealand, was also spreading the message for other lost pilgrims to come forward.

"I tried to convince them (on Sunday), they need to leave to Sydney but they were telling us that they came to stay here and the guy organising from India took their money and said 'you can stay (in New Zealand) forever'," Singh said. Meanwhile, chairman of the World Youth Day committee for the Diocese of Auckland Maurice Boland, said there was "a lot of hurt" among the families who have agreed to host the pilgrims, the New Zealand Herald reported.

"The balance of the people who came from India have been wonderful guests and they're terribly embarrassed by what has happened," Boland said.

A Labour Department spokesman said that absconding from their billets did not affect the missing person's right to be in New Zealand.

"Their (missing persons) permit could only be revoked if they found to have breached the terms and conditions of their permit, like by seeking work here," the spokesman said.