Families of New Zealand refugees in limbo as system stalls

Reuniting refugee families separated by conflict or persecution is the role of New Zealand’s family sponsorship system, but a seven-year backlog has left thousands in limbo indefinitely, says a report by the University of Auckland and New Zealand Red Cross.

Unlike countries with more porous borders, Aotearoa has a highly structured humanitarian refugee intake system centred on a United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) quota, which allows 1500 refugees to resettle here per year, says Professor Jay Marlowe, co-director of the Centre for Asia Pacific Refugee Studies in the University’s Faculty of Arts and Education.

“Our report recommends we clear the backlog by temporarily boosting our family intake, and then keep pace by permanently increasing our annual Refugee Family Support intake from 600 to 900 sponsored places.”

Complementing the UNHCR quota is the Refugee Family Support Category (RFSC), which allows for 600 sponsored places annually, providing former refugees living here with the opportunity to reunite with their loved ones, who are often still in danger in their home or neighbouring countries, he says.

“Currently, however, our system for reuniting families is out of balance and under immense pressure."

He says more than 6000 family members are already part of a growing backlog, representing a decade’s worth of the current annual RFSC intake, with those categorised as ‘Tier 2’ waiting more than seven years after registering, on average.

And given the current and former government’s acknowledgement that the system isn’t working for these families, something needs to change, he believes.

Marlowe says the report offers innovative options such as allowing community sponsors, alongside families, to move things along without unnecessary delays.

“We need to create a pathway where community organisations can play a larger role in family reunification and its success by offering personal contact and practical advice; for example, by helping newcomers find rental housing, enrol in education and health services, find jobs and form connections within their new community.”

The Community Refugee Sponsorship programme model, based on a core partnership between Immigration New Zealand, communities, and an umbrella organisation, HOST Aotearoa New Zealand, has been set up for this purpose under a three-year trial period, he says.

Aside from the obligation to families left waiting for years on the current list, evidence shows that increasing paths for family reunification has a positive impact on the mental health of refugees already established here, and significantly reduces the need for specialised support, says Marlowe.

This cohort, historically, has also been successful in the labour market, he says.

“The family support cohort has the most positive employment prospects of all forced migration categories, which we know from research tracking more than 24,000 people who came to Aotearoa New Zealand under different refugee and protection pathways over the last 20 years; all benefits which make a compelling case for improved family sponsorship.”

The report concludes that New Zealand has a responsibility to those already registered for family sponsorship, especially those who’ve been waiting since 2017, as well as to the families already here and waiting indefinitely to see their relatives again.

“We offer viable pathways to addressing this challenge and reaffirm the fundamental right of families to be reunited, so those with refugee backgrounds can successfully rebuild their lives together in Aotearoa New Zealand,” says Marlowe.

Reuniting Families, a path forward for Aotearoa New Zealand is by the Centre for Asia Pacific Refugee Studies (CAPRS) at Waipapa Taumata Rau University of Auckland and New Zealand Red Cross Migration Programmes, with the input of many individuals and organisations acknowledged in the report.