NZ: One big picnic with a few bugs, refugees told

Because of the current economy, it may take longer than usual to find a job. Video narrator

New Zealand: a land of friendly cops, sausage sizzles, and sweet opshops.

At least, that’s the Aotearoa presented in Immigration New Zealand’s refugee resettlement video.

The video, which aims to brief refugees on how to get by in the Land of the Long White Cloud, presents a utopian glimpse of Kiwi life.

‘‘New Zealanders are commonly called Kiwis and are known for their relaxed lifestyle and attitude towards life,’’ the narrator tells new arrivals.

If this video is anything to go by, that lifestyle involves a lot of picnicking and cooking sausages. Kiwis are shown enjoying picnics, turning sausages on barbecues and being pulled over by a friendly policeman and breath-tested for drink driving.

Set to an unsettling synth soundtrack that sounds a bit like it’s ripped from the 1986 movie Labyrinth, the 38-minute clip is mostly concerned with telling refugees what they can’t do in New Zealand.

On the list of prohibited activities: family violence, smoking indoors, female genital mutilation, forced marriage, religious or gender-based discrimination, child marriage, polygamy, drink driving, marital rape, cycling without a helmet, bribery, eating on planes, excessive use of alcohol, and driving without a licence.

‘‘New Zealand offers you a chance to build a new life in a new land. It is possible to achieve this goal,’’ the narrator says.

A major section of the video is devoted to finding gainful employment, covering how to find work, pay tax, and budget for a household. Becoming self-sufficient is presented as the ultimate goal for refugees. If the video’s anything to go by, this could involve long hours packing kiwifruit.

‘‘It is important to learn English, but just as important to accept the first reasonable job offer after your arrival,’’ the narrator says cheerily. ‘‘Your first job in New Zealand will probably not be in the same profession or field as your job back home or in the refugee camp.’’

In other words: adjust your expectations. This applies to accommodation too, which the narrator reveals ‘‘can be very expensive and difficult to find’’, and jobs: ‘‘Because of the current economy, it may take longer than usual to find a job,’’ she warns.

It’s not all bad news, though. The video showcases some of the perks of living in New Zealand: democracy, education, medical care, freedom from corruption, gender equality, and social welfare.

The video is provided to new refugees when they arrive at the Mangere Refugee Resettlement Centre in Auckland.