Christopher Coen
Melissa Sogard
nancylee1
It seems that other refugee resettlement countries in the world are finding intractable problems in their resettlement programs. Now, a report released in New Zealand examines the country’s refugee resettlement system – top to bottom. In New Zealand refugees have poor education levels, a long-term reliance on Government assistance, and 25% of them are long-term absent, many having left to to Australia in search of jobs. An article in Auckland Now explains the situation:
The Immigration Department is carrying out a major review of New Zealand’s refugee resettlement programme as a leaked report shows we are failing them.
The report shows refugees – 30,000 in Auckland alone – are remaining at the bottom of the heap, with poor education levels and a long-term reliance on Government handouts.
Advocates say the MartinJenkins research report, backs up what they’ve been saying for years…
The report showed that 57 per cent of working age quota refugees are beneficiaries compared with 12 per cent of the population.
Only 42 per cent of refugee children achieved NCEA 2 compared with 75 per cent of all New Zealanders while 39 per cent of quota refugees are still living in state houses 10 years after they arrive.
Furthermore, almost a quarter are “long-term absent” from New Zealand after 10 years, with many going to Australia in search of jobs, refugee representatives say.
Refugee advocate Adam Awad said they had been calling for changes to the strategy for years, saying “it’s failed us”.
“This report is really confirming what the community has been saying because we have been saying the current settlement regime is not working. It’s very costly, it’s very inefficient and it’s not what the community’s want because it creates the dependency,” he said.
Awad said those currently providing refuge services had to “own” the poor results… Read more here
I like this idea of ownership – a concept the US refugee resettlement program seems to have abandoned at the same time it shed accountability and transparency. Perhaps we need to import it from New Zealand.
