Obstacles to freedom for refugees

Brian Carran says refugees such as Abdirisak Diriye (centre) and Abdi Jamma are excellent workers. Picture / Fotopress

Ali Ghulami arrived in New Zealand three years ago, an Afghan refugee from the Tampa. Now 20, he is creating a new life while trying to support his family. Ali's sister, her husband and three children live here - his parents and four sisters joined them this month. It isn't easy.

Poor language and a lack of Kiwi work experience are big obstacles for young refugees seeking permanent jobs, he says. Discrimination also seems rife.

Ali left school to do a course offering work experience and unit standards. Once he finished, he got casual shift work, often getting late night call-ups. But Ali hasn't got a fulltime job - he failed a test for fulltime work because he read too slowly. When he put the name of his niece - a refugee with good English - forward for holiday work, she got nothing.

Last year Ali also began a freight forwarding course, then got work with a freight forwarding company five nights 3am to 11.30am. His boss is happy to help overcome his English shortcomings. His goal is day-shift freight forwarding work. Longer term? A house, car and his own business.

Such dreams require permanent employment, which is hard to come by for refugees. Yet it is vital to help them integrate into New Zealand society, say agencies.

Work and Income Migrant and Refugee Services manager Sally Ewer says most refugees are unskilled, having had no work in their country. Any job is a foot in the door.

One door opening to refugees and migrants is Mt Albert Pak'n'Save. Boss Brian Carran says half his staff are not New Zealand born and range from semi-literate trolley pushers to supervisors.

"They're a good labour source, happy to work for entry-level wages. They also reflect the population around the store. Many make excellent employees and I have no trouble finding staff."

No discrimination is allowed. "I've sent customers from the store for abusing my staff."

But Carran goes further. A small prayer room is available, female staff have an optional uniform headscarf and staff fluent in another language have their national flag on their name badge so customers know who speaks their language. Because of the gaps in their experiences, refugees take longer to train but they end up good workers and incredibly loyal, he says.

"Because we can't check qualifications we usually go on interviews. For some positions applicants have to be able to read well but a guy who speaks little English can push trolleys. We try to give a percentage of jobs to people who are less advantaged but draw the line when they can't communicate."

The biggest obstacle for refugees, says Carran, is understanding language in the workplace. He is keen to see partnerships among government agencies and businesses that combine work experience, industry exposure and language learning.

"Someone who can't read or understand health and safety contracts, department procedures and the endless things that must be read, understood and signed off, is really going to struggle to get employment."

English as a second language (Esol) adviser for migrants and refugees Angela Yatri says many refugees aren't literate when they arrive because education systems at home have disintegrated.

"After three semesters of Esol they may be talking a little English. I have a 50-year-old who is doing really well but he's going to take years. Some case managers don't understand why their client's English doesn't improve faster than that."

Yatri finds the public sector most open to offering work - though usually part-time. "So they're not reaching income levels or the advancement required to make life easier."

Another issue, says Career Services Manukau manager Mary Kayes, is the lack of experience of New Zealand workplace culture.

"What is a plumber to a child who has grown up in a place where there is no running water? Apprenticeships are often non-existent in some countries where someone learns from an uncle who fixes cars or neighbour who bakes bread for the village. The nature of New Zealand work can be very foreign."

In 2003 Work and Income established an Auckland Migrant and Refugee Strategy, which Ewer manages. Several employment-focused initiatives have been put in place, including Career Services working with small numbers of refugees.

However Yatri feels migrants and refugees shouldn't be lumped together, because their issues are different. She doesn't think Work and Income should be case managing refugees at the stage they do. "These people have never experienced a decent education, so post-settlement education is a key factor to employment. How realistic is it to think that a 30-year-old unskilled person is going to find employment when they also have bad English skills and trauma in their background?" asks Yatri.

Auckland Refugees as Survivors Centre manager Dr Naing Thein, from Myanmar, advocates voluntary work as a way to gain Kiwi experience and improve English. But even that is hard to find, he says.

"Small employers want to feel a new person, even voluntary or part-time, will fit."

Where to get help

* Auckland Refugees Survivors Centre: 270 0870

* Auckland Regional Migrant Resource Centre: 625 2440

* Career Services Manukau City:

262 4250

* Information Service for Auckland Regional Migrant Resource Centre:

625 3090