18 June 2015

New Zealand Red Cross celebrates World Refugee Day

New Zealand Red Cross celebrated World Refugee Day at a parliamentary event hosted by the Minister of Immigration Michael Woodhouse, featuring speeches from former refugees and United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) representative Thomas Albrecht, yesterday. World Refugee Day held on 20 June, is an international United Nations observance dedicated to raising awareness of the situation of refugees throughout the world.

New Zealand Red Cross Secretary General Tony Paine says the event celebrated the strength, resilience and diversity people from refugee backgrounds bring to New Zealand.

“People who come to New Zealand as refugees are ordinary Kiwis just like us. Refugees are mothers, fathers, sisters and brothers. Lawyers, students, musicians and gardeners - people who seek peace and protection for their families. No one chooses to be a refugee.

“But as we celebrate we must remember that every minute eight people are forced to leave everything behind to escape war, persecution or terror. Worldwide there are more people seeking refuge than any other time since World War II.

“The crisis can seem so big and we wonder – what can we do to help? But if we all do a bit more, we can make a real difference.

“We can do more as individuals and communities, welcoming and helping refugee families arriving in Aotearoa. And we can do more as a country, as part of the wider international community,” Mr Paine says.

The first Syrian refugee to come to New Zealand under the quota programme, Yahya Sheikha, spoke yesterday to MPs and guests at Parliament. He says that until war broke out he had a settled and happy life living with his family.

“We lived in the countryside near Damascus and I had a stable job, working as a warehouse supervisor at the Damascus airport for 12 years.

“As the war unfolded, things changed dramatically. Every day we saw people killed and dying on the street for no reason. It was like being in a long dark tunnel with no light at the end of it.

“It’s been hard to love life in my country in the last four years - but I am really looking forward to building a life I love in New Zealand. I also want to give back to this country that has given me so much,” Mr Sheikha says.

In Syria alone an estimated nine million people have fled their homes since conflict began in 2011. According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), more than three million of these people have fled to Syria's immediate neighbours.

Despite the growing need, New Zealand’s annual refugee quota has not increased from 750 since it was first established in 1987.

As the primary provider of refugee resettlement support in New Zealand, Red Cross believes New Zealand can do more to support the humanitarian needs of refugees and asylum seekers.

“It’s time to increase the quota. Our quota needs to reflect the humanitarian need and New Zealand’s capacity to help.

“We also need to ensure that we accept people from countries most in need, as identified by the United Nations,” Mr Paine says.

As part of largest humanitarian organisation in the world and the lead refugee resettlement service in Aotearoa, New Zealand Red Cross is proud to be part of the solution, working closely with Government, partner agencies and refugee background communities.

To meet Kiwis who have sought refuge in New Zealand and for more information on New Zealand Red Cross’ position on refugee issues please visit: www.redcross.org.nz/refugee

ENDS

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