March 15 2022
PM Jacinda Ardern has announced the Government will offer visas to family members of New Zealand Ukrainians.
About 4000 family members of Ukrainians living in New Zealand will be welcomed into the country under a new policy announced today in response to the rising humanitarian crisis following Russia's invasion.
Immigration Minister Kris Faafoi announced today the 2022 Special Ukraine Policy, which will allow Ukrainian-born New Zealand citizens and residents here to bring in members of their Ukrainian family whose lives are at risk due to "Russia's aggression".
It comes as nearly three million people have fled the country and nearly two million become internally displaced Ukraine since Russia's invasion, which the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said was the "fastest-growing refugee crisis in Europe since World War II".
"This is the largest special visa category we have ever established to support an international humanitarian effort," Faafoi said.
It follows an additional $4 million in humanitarian funding announced today, alongside diplomatic measures and the historic Russia Sanctions Act, passed last week.
Faafoi said the policy will allow parents and wider family members offshore of the roughly 1600 Ukrainians in New Zealand able to come here, estimated to benefit about 4000 people.
It will allow their parents, grandparents and adult siblings or adult children and their immediate family who are ordinarily resident in Ukraine to shelter safely here.
It will be open for one year from today and grant recipients a two-year work visa with work rights, and children will be able to attend school.
Immigration Minister Kris Faafoi. Photo / Mark Mitchell
Faafoi said the Government had listened to the Ukrainian community here, who have been calling for such a visa and refugee support.
"Our Ukrainian community in New Zealand has also asked us to help in sheltering their family members who have been forced to flee their homes due to Russia's unprovoked attack.
"We have listened, and today's announcement will provide a pathway for their families' safety."
The Government previously announced fast-track measures to support Ukrainians to remain in New Zealand or to return here immediately.
This meant Ukrainian nationals in New Zealand with a visa due to expire by the end of the year will be given an automatic 12-month extension, which included about 140 people.
Ukrainian nationals offshore with a valid New Zealand visa could come immediately, bypassing New Zealand's reconnecting steps, including about 250 people.
Such measures have wide Parliamentary support.
National has urged the Government to create a "special humanitarian visa" for immediate family members of Ukrainians who have settled in New Zealand.
The Act Party last week launched a petition to allow Kiwi-Ukrainians to bring their immediate family to New Zealand as soon as possible.
The Green Party has been long advocating for family reunification and visa waiver status.
Immigration spokesman Ricardo Menéndez March said the party welcomed today's announcement but wanted it extended to include families of people here on temporary visas.
It also wanted disability or health status requirements removed, and a commitment to treating all countries affected by war equitably, noting there had been no such announcements for people in Yemen or Syria.
"We need an equitable response to war that doesn't leave people from the global south response behind."
The Greens also want the Government to go further and urgently offer to resettle refugees.
Greens foreign affairs spokeswoman Golriz Ghahraman previously said the Government should offer places to 2000 refugees, given the annual quota of 1500 had not been filled for nearly three years, thanks to Covid.
Since July 2019, just over 1500 quota refugees have arrived here, out of 4500 spaces.
Last year just 263 arrived. Additionally spaces for 300 family members a year have not been filled, with just 164 arriving over the past nearly three years from 900 spaces.
Ghahraman said Auckland's resettlement centre, where refugees are welcomed into the country, could be used as an MIQ facility.
Faafoi said representatives of the UNHCR told him it was still "early days" around quota refugees but New Zealand was ready to respond when the time came.
UNHCR had told him the visa announcement would be "helpful" in the meantime, he said.
Asked about equity for different countries facing war, Ardern said New Zealand made a large contribution to the evacuation of people from Afghanistan, particularly those who had "supported us".
Australia is set announce a Ukraine specific refugee intake this week, with 3000 visas already granted for Ukrainians fleeing the war to arrive in Australia.
Under the new policy, eligible sponsors could now contact Immigration New Zealand and once visas were granted recipients would have nine months to travel here.
Eligibility would be determined in "three to four days", Faafoi said,
Sponsors will be responsible for arranging and funding travel to New Zealand, and accommodation and living costs once in New Zealand. No fees would be charged for the visas.
Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta also today announced another $4m humanitarian aid, on top of $2m announced a few weeks ago.
Mahuta said the funding would go to UN agencies assisting humanitarian efforts and refugees.
Sanctions law commended by US
Last week Parliament unanimously passed the historic Russia Sanctions Act, allowing the Government to deviate from its typical United Nations-led approach and autonomously ramp up sanctions against Russia over its "brutal and intolerable" invasion.
The law provides a framework to impose economic sanctions targeting specific people, and companies, assets and services involved with Russia's war.
It can include freezing assets, stopping land purchases here, targeting oligarchs and even shutting off airspace to Russian aircraft and waters to superyachts, among other measures.
Mahuta said it was not about targeting people simply for being Russian, rather those who linked to Russia's war in Ukraine, or who were of economic or strategic importance to Putin's regime.
The law has been commended by New Zealand's allies including the United States.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said his country "welcomes the passage of New Zealand's new sanctions regime".
"For the first time, New Zealand has extended its sanctions authorities beyond its UN Security Council obligations.
"New Zealand's announcement underscores its commitment to the freedom, territorial integrity, and sovereignty of Ukraine and illustrates New Zealand's lasting commitment to preserving the rules-based international order.
"Together with the international community, we will hold Russia to account for its aggression."
