What is the initiative and where is it implemented (city or country, for example)?
In 2012, Immigration New Zealand, under the direction of the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, developed the New Zealand Refugee Resettlement Strategy in order to establish better policies for accepting and orienting refugees, facilitate English language learning and provide access to healthcare and special services (Benseman, 2014).
How was the initiative established? How was it implemented?
The Government of New Zealand established an annual quota for the resettlement of refugees in 1987. As global circumstances have changed over time, the policies of New Zealand have also evolved to meet new challenges and accommodate emerging needs. Currently, New Zealand accepts 750 refugees from diverse backgrounds, including but not limited to Somalia, Zimbabwe, Congo, Iraq, Indonesia, Ethiopia, Myanmar, Bosnia, Eritrea, Iran, Bhutan and Afghanistan.
Upon arrival in New Zealand, refugees are required to spend around six weeks at the Mangere Refugee Centre in Auckland, undergoing initial stages of adjustment, learning the language and culture they will integrate into after that period is over. After completing the programme, the refugees are resettled to different cities around the country, such as Auckland, Hamilton, Palmerston North, Wellington, Nelson and Christchurch, which are usually chosen with reference to existing diasporas and expatriate communities. If the refugees have arrived through a family reunion programme, they skip the stage of Mangere Centre and are resettled directly with their families (Benseman, 2014). The government renews the quota annually and reviews the policies every three years (New Zealand Immigration, 2018).
Which stakeholders are involved in the design and/or implementation of the initiative? Which sectors do they represent?
The development of a successful refugee resettlement programme requires a number of engaged stakeholders collaborating with a common goal to create a welcoming and integrative environment. Among those working on the implementation of resettlement policies in New Zealand are local, national and international organizations, including the Government of New Zealand, represented by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, the UN Refugee Agency, Red Cross, Amnesty International as well as refugee-focused service providers, forums and migrant resource centres and other organizations, associations and communities that can contribute to the cause (McIntosh and Cockburn-Wootten, 2019).
What are the impacts of the initiative in terms of facilitating lifelong learning? Whom does it benefit and how?
Immigration New Zealand identified five integration outcomes: self-sufficiency, housing, education, health and well-being, and participation. Success indicators in each of the target areas illustrate the positive impact of the programme. They enable the analysis of the results of implementations of various strategies to improve the living conditions of refugees.
Outcomes in self-sufficiency are considered successful if the number of employed working-age adults is increasing, while the rate of unemployed adults receiving benefits drops.
After two years and five years of receiving housing aid, the proportion being given assistance should be reduced naturally, which means the refugees are successfully finding accommodation without government help.
The increasing proportion of refugee school graduates with the National Certificate of Education Achievement Level 2 reflect improvements in education; accessible general healthcare and mental health services and adequate and timely immunizations indicate developments in the health and well-being sphere.
Along with the initial six-month orientation programme, during the first twelve months in the community that refugees are resettled to, they are provided with additional support. English language learning programmes have been developed for young learners and adults (Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, 2017). The Language Assistance Services initiative has become one of the priorities in the 2020 resettlement strategy, meaning that translation and interpretation services should be available immediately upon need. Even though the Mangere Centre reception programme has shifted its focus to concentrate on work and employment preparation, the language barrier remains an obstacle in jobseekers’ way despite their having necessary competencies and potential for development. This calls for improved language learning programmes and greater funding (New Zealand Immigration, 2018).
The vision for the Resettlement Strategy implies that refugees integrate into the society as soon as possible, participate fully in the life of the community and exercise the same rights and undertake the same responsibilities as other citizens of New Zealand, live independently and have a strong sense of belonging (Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, 2017).
There is a strong need for enhanced cooperation and clear communication between refugee-focused service providers. The efforts to reduce discrimination and eliminate negative attitude towards refugees, encouraging inclusion and promoting diversity should be continued to create a more welcoming environment and a society ready to accept new members and provide them with support and guidance (McIntosh and Cockburn-Wootten, 2019).
References
Benseman, J., 2014. Adult refugee learners with limited literacy: Needs and effective responses. Refuge: Canada’s Journal on Refugees, 30(1), pp. 93–103. Available at: https://doi.org/10.25071/1920-7336.38606 [Accessed 23 July 2021].
McIntosh, A. J. and Cockburn-Wootten, C. A., 2019. Refugee-focused service providers: Improving the welcome in New Zealand. Service Industries Journal, 39(9–10), pp. 701–716.
Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, 2017. New Zealand Refugee Resettlement Strategy. [Online] Available at: www.immigration.govt.nz/documents/refugees/nz-refugee-resettlement-strategy-overview_april-2017-docx.pdf [Accessed 5 April 2021].
New Zealand Immigration, 2018. New Zealand Refugee Resettlement Strategy. Priorities to 2020. [Online] Available at: www.immigration.govt.nz/documents/refugees/settlement-strategy-priorities-2020.pdf [Accessed 5 April 2021].