Instead of enjoying the World Youth Day in Sydney with the other pilgrims, 35 Indian Catholics are still in hiding around Auckland.
They were among thousands passing through Auckland to see the
Pope in Sydney but instead of getting on the plane they have
disappeared.
The Department of Labour's Immigration Service says it is unusual
to have such a large group on the run.
It is believed they went on the run after finding out their Indian
agent had wrongly promised them permanent visas.
They failed to meet up with their New Zealand hosts and absconded.
Sikh Society spokesman Daljit Singh is in contact with some of the missing pilgrims. He says they claim they are victims of an immigration scam.
And an Auckland woman feels she was duped by one of the missing Indian pilgrims.
Kim Wannenburg hosted two pilgrims for four days before they disappeared.
Ms Wannenburg says the men pretended to go to the local shop to buy her daughter a gift but they never returned.
She says she has received three phone calls from one of them apologising for leaving her house without saying goodbye.
