New Zealand is not a silent spectator but an effective contributor in the resettlement of international refugees, Immigration Minister Michael Woodhouse has said.
He rejected an Amnesty International claim that New Zealand was not pulling its weight on the issue.
The global body had criticised New Zealand saying that its contribution was ‘tiny’ and that it was part of the problem and not solution.
Proud contributor
Mr Woodhouse sand that New Zealand was rightly proud of its contribution to providing solutions to the world’s refugee problem over the years.
“Since we began resettling young Polish refugees in 1944, approximately 33,000 refugees have been given the opportunity to seek a brighter future here. We are a small nation, and New Zealanders have warmly accepted a significant number of refugees into their communities over the years,” he said.
According to Mr Woodhouse, New Zealand has one of the highest refugee intakes per head of population (750 refugees every year) and that such criticisms did the country disservice.
“New Zealand is one of only a small number of countries that takes part in the regular refugee resettlement programme of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the part we played was recognised as a model of best international practice by the UNHCR during a recent visit to New Zealand,” he said.
Resettlement strategy
Mr Woodhouse said that the whole-of-government Refugee Resettlement Strategy launched in December 2012 was aimed at delivering better outcomes for refugees settling in New Zealand
“This Strategy reflects the importance that the Government places on refugee resettlement and help refugees adapt to life in New Zealand as quickly as possible. It was formed with considerable input from refugee and community groups who have warmly welcomed the Strategy,” he said.
He said that the recent events in Western Australia (where 27 refugees were on hunger strike demanding to be accepted into the country) showed that New Zealand was a target for dangerous and illegal mass arrivals by boat and the Government makes no excuses for being fully prepared for such an event.
“These operations are driven by people smugglers who take large sums of money for putting to risk the lives of vulnerable people, including children,” Mr Woodhouse said.
