Quota refugees in New Zealand: perspectives on policy and resettlement service provision

Abstract

Up to 750 'quota' refugees, from diverse backgrounds, are resettled in New Zealand annually. Service providers, contracted to assist in the resettlement process, are increasingly hampered by a lack of funding, and poor co-ordination of services. This in turn results in unsatisfactory settlement outcomes for quota refugees. Following an extensive overview of the context within which international and national refugee resettlement takes place, this research examines the services currently provided to quota refugees in New Zealand by government and non-government agencies, and the policies which underpin them. It analyses the needs and gaps in these services, with attention to overlaps and inconsistencies in the overall structure of service provision. Analysis is divided between four service sectors: immigration, general resettlement, education/ ESOL and health services. The research further examines the information needs of service providers, and advocates the development of a national database outlining annual quota refugee intakes. Research was conducted using a key informant approach. Two phases were involved, firstly, in-depth face-to-face interviews with government policy makers, and secondly, a mail-out questionnaire survey of non-government service providers throughout New Zealand. ESOL/ education was found to be the sector where the greatest needs and largest gaps exist. Large gaps in funding were also revealed in general resettlement services, and the lack of refugee-specific health policy was found to affect health services. Because refugees have a distinct set of special needs, and are currently provided services in a social service contract environment, it is essential that guidelines are developed and services are co-ordinated at a national level. This cannot proceed without quality information about resettlement outcomes from the perspective of recently resettled refugees. Hence this research is the initial step toward developing a research tool which monitors the settlement outcomes of quota refugees.