Why the world is watching us
that it’s only luck that means that we ourselves aren’t needing this kind of protection. The people that are fleeing, it could be you and I.’’
Ardern, as well as campaigning on doubling the refugee quota, has also spoken out strongly against Australia’s detention of refugees and asylum-seekers on Manus Island, in Papua New Guinea, and on Nauru.
She has reaffirmed New Zealand’s position on a number of occasions, and offered to take up to 150 of the refugees. When met with backlash from Australian politicians and media, she said it was more important to do what was right than what was popular.
De Ronde says she is relieved to hear Ardern speak out so strongly on the world stage on the plight of the refugees in Manus and Nauru.
‘‘I do think words really matter . . . Actions do matter too, and we’ll wait to see what happens with the quota increase. We’re looking to them to make good on that promise.’’
Community responsibility
The Government has launched a community sponsorship pilot programme to help resettle refugees, which has cross-party support.
Four community-based organisations in Wellington, Timaru, Christchurch, and Nelson have been chosen to support the resettlement of 25 refugees arriving from the start of this month.
Lees-Galloway says the grassroots approach will have positive social, economic and cultural benefits, for both the community and the resettled refugees.
The groups will provide services such as the provision of furnished housing; helping refugees navigate their community and the services they need (such as enrolling in GPs and schooling); English language classes; and support towards paid employment and self-sufficiency.
New Zealand’s pilot, modelled on a programme used in Canada for 30 years, has been specifically named in the draft of a global refugee strategy being created by the United Nations.
De Ronde wants to see the programme become part of the landscape. ‘‘Globally we are being watched to see how our pilot goes . . . Internationally this is quite a pertinent issue at the moment.’’
It is a chance for New Zealand to be proud of things such as its community sponsorship programme, and its strong stance on humanitarian issues.
The pilot will be reviewed by December, when a decision will be made about whether to roll it out further.
National immigration spokesman Michael Woodhouse says there is a ‘‘generosity of spirit’’ in Kiwi communities, which the Government should utilise.
During the Syrian crisis, there were some ‘‘quite naive but quintessentially Kiwi’’ offers of help, he says.
Both he and De Ronde say New Zealand should rely on the community taking more responsibility for refugee resettlement.
Do we have the capacity?
While it seems increasing the quota is the right thing to do as a good international citizen, there are other considerations, including housing, resettlement services and Government funding. It costs the Government about $100,000 per refugee each year for the first three years.
Meanwhile, there is a lack of affordable housing in some
resettlement towns, including Auckland, with almost 8000 Kiwis waiting for social housing.
Lees-Galloway says after the expansion of the Mangere Resettlement Centre there will be the capacity to service 1500 refugees a year.
But there is still work to be done before the quota can be raised.
‘‘Even if there are pressures on our own resources internally, it is possible to provide for people in New Zealand and do our fair share for people in need, globally,’’ De Ronde says.
Some of the poorest countries are currently bearing the brunt of the refugee situation. Millions fleeing Syria and Iraq have sought safety in countries such as Lebanon, Turkey and Jordan. And more than
1.4m have taken their chances aboard unseaworthy boats and dinghies in a desperate attempt to reach Greece, Italy and Spain since 2015.
Meanwhile, almost 700,000 Rohingya have fled to Myanmar since last August. These refugees living in tents are now facing lifethreatening situations in Bangladesh.
However, Woodhouse says
New Zealand should not have to apologise for its settled, open democracy, or for its geographical position in the world.
It has the good fortune to be well away from ‘‘trouble spots’’ and able to control refugee migration. It is not fair to compare its refugee intake to countries such as Lebanon, which are next door to unsettled neighbours.
During his time as immigration minister, Woodhouse says he considered a range of options, and decided a quota increase to 1000 was appropriate. ‘‘There will always be an overwhelming need that New Zealand is not able to meet as a small country.’’
It needs instead to focus on high-quality settlement outcomes for the people it takes, rather than ‘‘arbitrarily’’ increasing its quota, at the expense of good outcomes.
Green MP Golriz Ghahraman, a former refugee from Iran, says that, when Kiwis feel disillusioned by a lack of quality public services and housing, refugee and migrant communities become easy scapegoats, which sometimes leads to xenophobia.
That has already started to creep into New Zealand, she believes. But historical underfunding of public systems does not provide an excuse for us not to do our part to relieve the crisis.
If Kiwis agree torture is wrong, then it is only right to be part of the solution, she says, adding that it is not OK to use our geographical advantage to ignore what is happening overseas.
Global strategy
The United Nations is in the process of creating a global refugee compact in response to the humanitarian refugee crisis.
The UN says there is a need for ‘‘more equitable sharing of the burden and responsibility for hosting and supporting the world’s refugees’’.
De Ronde says the world will be watching how New Zealand evolves its refugee strategy, and implements programmes like the community sponsorship model.
‘‘Refugees and those affected by refugee situations must not be left behind,’’ the draft UN Global Compact on Refugees says.
The strategy will go to its final consultation phase next month.