New Zealand's policy on refugees

Abstract

The importance of a refugee policy is clear. Not only are the lives of men, women and children at stake, but the refugee problem can cause considerable tension and instability in the international scene. Moreover, the refugee problem is a continuing one unlikely to end in the foreseeable future. A world problem, it requires international co-operation. This study considers what New Zealand has done in the field of refugee work. The objective is to show how and why New Zealand has responded to the evolution of international action on behalf of refugees, and to make various recommendations regarding its policy in a spirit of constructive criticism. Accordingly, the approach taken is, firstly, to analyse the key determinants of the refugee question shaping international policy. Secondly, New Zealand's response to external and internal determinants is discussed. Thirdly, New Zealand's institutional arrangements are examined, both at the policy-making and the operational levels. Three aspects are examined, namely : New Zealand's official commitment to international co-operation, the intake of refugees for resettlement in New Zealand, and New Zealand's financial contributions to refugee programmes overseas, both by the Government and the private sector. Research has not included surveying refugees, being aimed more at the official and organisational levels. While a fair amount of literature exists on the international dimension, as well as the policies of selected countries, in New Zealand this is a relatively unresearched field. The topic therefore offers great scope for original work, and it is hoped that this study will fill a gap in this hitherto unrecorded aspect of New Zealand policy. Moreover, since there is a lack of a clearly defined public policy, the paper could shed some light on the matter and stimulate public debate.