"BIRDS IN A GILDED CAGE": RESETTLEMENT PROSPECTS FOR ADULT REFUGEES IN NEW ZEALAND.

• Author: Altinkaya, Judi

INTRODUCTION

The provision of a safe haven and a durable solution for a quota of refugees is an obligation that New Zealand has fulfilled since it accepted 753 Polish children and 105 accompanying adults in 1944. This paper details some of the current policy issues that impact upon the effectiveness of New Zealand's humanitarian gestures. One important factor for refugees in building their new lives in New Zealand is the ability to communicate in English and this paper provides a key focus on this topic. Further, in recognition of the International Year of Older Persons, this paper makes specific reference to the conditions for, and impacts on, the resettlement of older refugees in New Zealand.(1)

BACKGROUND

Refugees are "people who, because of a well-founded fear of persecution, for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion, leave their country of origin and are unable or unwilling to avail themselves of the protection of that country" (1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees).

In accepting refugees for resettlement, New Zealand has made a commitment to provide them with a safe haven and a durable solution to their plight. Refugee resettlement involves the permanent settlement of people in another nation. Removing people from their country and culture and requiring them to make major readjustments to their lives, such as changing their language, their way of life and their livelihood, is not always the most desirable solution for refugees.

In recognition of these factors, the UNHCR seeks resettlement for less than one percent of the world's refugees who totalled over 12 million in 1998. Resettlement is sought only in situations of last resort where the alternative mechanisms (including local integration or voluntary repatriation) are not available or feasible, and is primarily used to guarantee security or to provide humanitarian protection for refugees in "vulnerable categories". These may include women at risk, victims of torture, medical cases, those with disabilities and longstayers in refugee camps. Resettlement provides the most needy refugees with a chance to begin a new life and New Zealand is one of only twelve nations out of the 188 member states of the United Nations that undertakes, through a quota system, to accept refugees. New Zealand has been formally accepting refugees for resettlement since 1944, when the 858 Polish children and adults were accepted.

In 1987, New Zealand refined the refugee quota system to allow up to 800 refugees per year under a number of specific categories including ethnicity, religion and special needs. These have since been revised in 1997 with the removal of the family reunion category to allow the Government greater flexibility to respond to international protection needs and the annual quota now stands at 750 individuals. The primary reason for the reduction in the annual maximum is that the New Zealand Government undertook the responsibility of paying the airfares for refugees' travel to New Zealand.

While New Zealand takes a small total number of refugees, the country does admit a high number of people when the number is considered on a per capita basis, and is very responsive to global circumstances and needs. For example, a large percentage of refugees during the late 1970s and 1980s were "Indo-Chinese", while the numbers of Somali, Ethiopian, and Middle Eastern refugees increased during the mid 1990s in response to events in those areas (refer Tables 1 and 2).

Table 1 New Zealand's Quota Intake of Refugees by Ethnicity, 1979-1989

1.4.79 1.4.80 1.4.81 1.4.82 Nationality 31.3.80 31.3.81 31.3.82 31.3.83 Kampuchean 280 379 375 525 Vietnamese 622 852 256 131 Laotian 6 152 67 20 Year Total 908 1383 698 676 Grand Total 908 2291 2989 3665 1.4.83 1.4.84 1.4.85 1.4.86 Nationality 31.3.84 31.3.85 31.3.86 31.3.87 Kampuchean 428 500 413 192 Vietnamese 68 141 124 164 Laotian 63 79 139 174 Year Total 559 720 676 530 Grand Total 4224 4944 5620 6150 1.4.87 1.4.88 Nationality 31.3.88 31.3.89 TOTAL Kampuchean 333 644 4,069 Vietnamese 157 200 2,715 Laotian 155 118 973 Year Total 645 962 7,757 Grand Total 6795 7757 7,757 Source: New Zealand Immigration Service

Table 2 New Zealand's Quota Intake of Refugees by Ethnicity, 1989-1998

1.4.89 1.4.90 1.4.91 1.4.92 Nationality 31.3.90 31.3.91 31.3.92 31.3.93 Afghan 1 Bosnian 31 Burmese 1 1 Burundi Chinese Congolese Czech 16 28 El Salvadoran 22 Eritrean Ethiopian Guatemalan 4 Hungarian 1 Iranian 100 40 20 2 Iraqi 104 203 97 7 Kampuchean 177 70 295 50 Kuwaiti Laotian 105 20 59 Liberian Libyan Nigerian Pakistani Palestinian Polish 59 50 Rwandan Saudi Arabian Somali 94 Sri Lankan 1 8 Sudanese Syrian Tunisan Turkish Ugandan Vietnamese 247 245 146 219 Yemenese Yugoslavian Year Total 810 682 619 412 Grand Total 810 1492 2111 2523 1.4.93 1.4.94 1.4.95 1.4.96 Nationality 31.3.94 31.3.95 31.3.96 31.3.97 Afghan 1 Bosnian 83 21 4 4 Burmese 2 Burundi 13 Chinese 2 Congolese 1 Czech El Salvadoran Eritrean 21 Ethiopian 45 50 130 72 Guatemalan Hungarian Iranian 13 6 24 Iraqi 215 318 136 266 Kampuchean 3 2 Kuwaiti 11 Laotian 3 5 62 Liberian 5 Libyan 2 5 Nigerian 2 1 1 Pakistani Palestinian 6 Polish Rwandan 14 Saudi Arabian 1 Somali 309 39 299 21 Sri Lankan 13 21 25 12 Sudanese 8 1 14 Syrian 7 13 Tunisan 3 Turkish 4 Ugandan 1 Vietnamese 42 341 116 23 Yemenese Yugoslavian 1 3 Year Total 737 822 780 527 Grand Total 3260 4082 4862 5389 1.4.97 Nationality 31.3.98 TOTAL Afghan 2 Bosnian 3 146 Burmese 4 Burundi 17 3 Chinese 2 Congolese 1 2 Czech 44 El Salvadoran 22 Eritrean 10 31 Ethiopian 151 448 Guatemalan 4 Hungarian 1 Iranian 70 275 Iraqi 241 1,587 Kampuchean 597 Kuwaiti 11 Laotian 254 Liberian 5 Libyan 7 Nigerian 4 Pakistani 1 1 Palestinian 6 Polish 109 Rwandan 6 20 Saudi Arabian 8 9 Somali 137 899 Sri Lankan 3 83 Sudanese 10 33 Syrian 4 24 Tunisan 6 9 Turkish 4 Ugandan 1 Vietnamese 8 1,387 Yemenese 1 1 Yugoslavian 4 Year Total 677 6,066 Grand Total 6,066 6,066 Source: New Zealand Immigration Service

New Zealand also admits a large proportion of "at-risk" cases compared with other nations. While some may consider this policy naive, acceptance of these cases is important as some, such as women-at-risk or the elderly, experience discrimination by many nations in the refugee selection process. These nations have selection criteria that focus on the individual's ability to resettle and provide...