Refugees - who they are and why we take them

What is a refugee?

Under international law, a refugee is a person who is outside his or her country of nationality or habitual residence; has a well-founded fear of persecution because of race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group or political opinion; and is unable or unwilling to return for fear of persecution.

How many do we take, and where from?

We take 750 people a year, plus or minus 10 per cent, as refugees mandated by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. Those places include 75 dedicated to women at risk and 75 for those with medical, physical or social disabilities including up to 20 HIV places. From 1979 to the end of 2004 we have taken 19,400 quota refugees from 44 nationalities.

What is an asylum seeker?

In New Zealand those who seek refugee status at the border, like Auckland International Airport, are known as asylum seekers. They are not counted under the refugee quota and are often referred to as queue jumpers.

The most common asylum claims are based upon political and religious grounds but are not always accepted. In the 2004-05 year we settled 81 asylum seekers compared with 312 in 2001-02.

Recently the top five source countries have been Iran, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Somalia and Iraq. Claims have dropped to all-time lows, mirroring falls in numbers internationally.

Why do we let in people who turn up at the airport without proper documentation?

About 20 are turned around at the border a year and a system brought in two years ago saw 850 people prevented from boarding a plane to New Zealand. Genuine asylum seekers who are fleeing places of persecution often have no choice but to fake travel documents and we are obliged to consider their cases.

Why do we take refugees?

For humanitarian reasons. New Zealand has been accepting refugees since the end of World War II and is one of 16 resettlement countries with annual quotas. Others include Australia, Canada, the United States, Britain, Ireland and the Netherlands.

What support do we offer refugees once they are here?

Refugees arriving under the quota programme spend six weeks at the Mangere Refugee Reception Centre. They are given accommodation and facilities like an early childhood learning centre, medical and dental clinics, and recreation areas.

The centre works with agencies to implement a range of programmes. They include an orientation programme to build basic social and coping skills, and English classes. The Ministry of Health provides checkups and the Refugees As Survivors Centre has a team for trauma counselling.