YEMEN
Yemeni woman Arwa Ziad loves the outdoors and says New Zealand is the perfect pick for her and her young family.
Ziad moved to New Zealand with her British husband and two young sons five years ago.
She holds a Yemini passport – her mother is Lebanese and her father is Yemeni.
Ziad’s cosmopolitan upbringing took her to Lebanon, France, and the United Arab Emirates
‘‘I remember the kind genuine people,’’ she says, and hiking the rocky mountains of Yemen. But now New Zealand is home. ‘‘I have a great life here. My boys love cycling around the Hutt River trail. But I’ve never gotten used to the wind.’’
She volunteers with refugees at the Red Cross, teaching dance and founded the Hutt Valley Newcomers network to help others adapting to their new home. Trump’s travel ban has left her frustrated. Her first thought was: ‘‘what can I do to help?’’ Having only a Yemeni passport, but permanent residence in New Zealand, the worrying developments occurring in the United States make her hope she will gain New Zealand citizenship as soon as possible.
It was already difficult to travel on a Yemeni passport, now it’s worse, she says.
‘‘Being a Yemeni passport holder, I’m considered a terrorist.’’
Her sister who lives in Dubai and has a Yemeni passport was denied a visa to visit her in New Zealand two years ago, she adds. ‘‘The whole thing is very silly.’’ ‘‘It is nice to think positive and maybe things can change, but I have a feeling things will only get worse.’’
‘‘I have a great life here. My boys love cycling around the Hutt River trail. But I’ve never gotten used to the wind’’