"Birds in a Gilded Cage": Resettlement Prospects for Adult Refugees in New Zealand

Juli Altinkaya, Helen Omundsen

New Zealand is one of only twelve nations out of 188 member states of the United Nations that accepts a quota of refugees, which now stands at 750 per year.

This paper looks at some of the current policy issues that influence the effectiveness of New Zealand's handling of refugees, focusing on the ability of refugees to speak English and the resettlement of older refugees. Older refugees may be particularly vulnerable to stress, and to suffering the psychological effects of dislocation from their family and cultural structures.

Proficiency in English is one of the most important factors in successful resettlement and reducing marginalisation, yet there are a number of barriers (including cost) to learning English, especially for older and female refugees. Recommendations include implementing a national refugee settlement programme, establishing consultation processes, taking a case management approach to help co-ordinate service provision, and addressing the current inadequate funding of NGO service providers.

We conclude that collaboration between Government and NGOs in creating an integrated, efficient and effective approach to resettlement must be a priority.