Refugee quota increase pleases locals

Palestinian refugee Nabih Mansour. 07 September 2015 Daily Post photograph by Stephen Parker

The Government's announcement to take an extra 750 Syrian refugees over the next three years is close to Rotorua man Nabih Mansour's heart.

Mr Mansour, who was born in Palestine, can empathise with the plight of refugees heading for Europe, many of which are escaping conflict in Syria.

Mr Mansour has been a refugee "since I was six months old," he said, and still wishes he could return home.

"Those people want to feel safe and secure. I lived in this situation and you definitely do not want it to happen to you, especially if you have kids.

"The people who ran away with their kids have not started the wars, they want to feel safe and secure. They are not different to anyone else."

He said refugees would face a raft of challenges when they were relocated, and would need support to start a new life, as he did with his wife Cate.

He said those who did not support increasing the refugee quote "have no heart."

"A human is a human.

"It's fear of the unknown, some of them might think people are different from us, but they are human.

"The similarities are so much stronger than the cultural differences.

"Most people would want to go home; some of them would have businesses and property."

Rotorua mayor Steve Chadwick also welcomed the Government's announcement.

She said it was "the right thing to do."

"Wellington's mayor Celia Wade-Brown sent a letter to get support from all the mayors and I think it's the humane and right thing to do.

"I see the refugees at the Rotorua citizenship ceremonies and they are just so grateful to become a citizen and they give so much back to our community."

Immigration Minister Michael Woodhouse announced yesterday afternoon the country will take a total of 750 Syrian refugees over three years, on top of the usual annual quota of 750.

There is no official resettlement programme based in the area, although former refugees do come to live in Rotorua.

The five national centres of resettlement are in Auckland, Wellington, Nelson, Manawatu and Waikato.