Refugee intake to increase again

WELLINGTON: Refugees will soon resume arriving in New Zealand for the first time since the resettlement programme was frozen last year.

The Refugee Quota Programme has been on hold since March 2020, when the country closed the borders last year as part of its Covid19 response.

The only exception had been to a small number of priority emergency cases. By last week, a total of 50 people had arrived in the country under those circumstances.

Immigration New Zealand (INZ) said with health protocols in place and safe travel routes, the country could now take more people.

‘‘INZ has been working with partners on plans to resume refugee resettlement when international travel and transit routes are available,’’ INZ refugee and migrant services general manager Fiona Whiteridge said.

The first group of 35 refugees arrives this month, and will complete a 14day stay in managed isolation. These would be the first of a few ‘‘similar sized cohorts’’ to arrive, Ms Whiteridge said.

Those who arrived under the programme were granted permanent residence and would not pay managed isolation fees.

By the end of June, 210 refugees likely would have arrived.

However, due to the pandemic’s disruption of travel, INZ said the intake of refugees would not reach the planned quota of 1500 places for 202021.

‘‘INZ and the Managed Isolation and Quarantine agency (MIQ) are working closely together to coordinate the arrival of refugees to minimise any impact on available places at isolation facilities and ensure that the limited resumption of New Zealand’s refugee commitments does not displace other people,’’ Ms Whiteridge said. — RNZ