Few people have a better understanding of what it means to be safe and feel safe than former refugees.

Police staff work with new arrivals from their earliest days in New Zealand, and alongside communities as they settle into life in the country.

In recent years, through the networks established with communities, Police have recruited former refugees into constabulary and Police employee roles, adding to our cultural depth and understanding of 21^st century New Zealand.

“Police are committed to ensuring that we provide a service that is equitable for all communities,” says Yumi Nguyen, Principal Partnerships Advisor – Ethnic.

“We continue to improve how we work across government with partner agencies, non-government organisations and communities to achieve our vision of being the safest country.”

Those partnerships were to the fore during the annual two-day National Refugee Resettlement Forum, held last month (August) at Te Papa, Wellington, with Police staff among the participants and presenters.

The forum gave government agencies, councils, NGOs, refugee communities and local and international organisations an opportunity to engage in focused and constructive dialogue on critical issues, to share good practice, set priorities, plan and re-connect.

The forum brought together a wide range of local and international organisations and representatives of refugee and former refugee communities.

The theme for the 2024 forum was meaningful refugee participation, empowering refugee youth, engaging with government and local innovations. 

Jay Adams, Senior Advisor - Prevention Strategy, says it was amazing to hear success stories, but also challenging to hear where things could be better.

“Police have an important role to play in making sure refugee communities are safe and feel safe," he says.

"Even in the challenging fiscal and operational environment we’re in now, it’s important to remember that there are still communities who need our support and we need to rise to that challenge.”

In the lead-up, Police hosted visitors from international organisations. They included Adrian Edwards, Regional Representative of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

Adrian, who is based in Canberra, discussed the internationally context and shared an optimistic word about New Zealand Police’s role in supporting growing multicultural populations.Protecting refugees comes about through people working together; countries working together, communities working together, in fact all of us working to build a stronger society,” he said.

The support required by refugees and former refugees in New Zealand is of pressing practical interest to Police in the interests of building trust and confidence.

Adrian Edwards (UNHCR) at PNHQ. Left: with Commissioner Andrew Coster and Rabia Talal Almbaid, Senior Partnerships Advisor – Ethnic. Right with Superintendent Rakesh Naidoo, National Partnerships Manager – Ethnic; Carl McLennan, acting Assistant Commissioner Iwi and Communities; and Pieri Munro, DCE Iwi and Communities.

Last year, Police refreshed its approach to welcoming and ensuring the safety of refugees in New Zealand, strengthening the focus on collaboration with partner agencies and Immigration New Zealand-contracted service providers.

Police staff are among the first people new arrivals meet at Te Āhuru Mōwai o Aotearoa – Māngere Refugee Resettlement Centre, where our role includes introducing them to aspects of New Zealand law and delivering safety advice.

The country’s annual quota of 1500 refugees has added to our national hyper-diversity, with more than 180 ethnicities and 157 religions represented and 176 languages spoken by New Zealanders.

This is only going to increase, with UNHCR aiming to resettle at least 1 million refugees worldwide by 2030.

Superintendent Rakesh Naidoo speaks during one of the panel sessions. With him on the panel are Mastura Abd Rahman, Ministry of Education; Fiona Whiteridge, Immigration NZ; Raj Singh, Te Whatu Ora; and Serena Curtis - Ministry of Social Development, and Lillian Pak, Immigration New Zealand. (Photo - NZRAP)

“This is why it is important for Police to attend and participate in these conversations and see how we can provide the right support to refugees settling into life in New Zealand,” says Yumi.

“This year’s Refugee Resettlement Forum was a resounding success, with greater inclusion and collaboration with former refugees and local service providers.

“The format of the forum allowed former refugees to share lived experiences, and ensure local providers were able to also discuss openly their servicing realities, both opportunities and challenges.”

Adrian Edwards made clear to the forum his pleasure at hearing about Police’s proactive community engagement with refugees - and meeting “some of the very impressive former refugees now employed with New Zealand Police”.

“New Zealand and the New Zealand Police can be proud of the work being done to make refugee inclusion real,” he said.

Migrants, refugees, asylum seekers and the law

The rights of migrants, refugees and asylum seekers are protected by international law, regardless of how and why they arrive in a country. They have the same rights as everyone else, plus special or specific protections including:
- The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (Article 14), which states that everyone has the right to seek and enjoy asylum from persecution in other countries
- The 1951 UN Refugee Convention (and its 1967 Protocol), which protects refugees from being returned to countries where they risk being persecuted
- The 1990 Migrant Workers Convention, which protects migrants and their families
- Regional Refugee law instruments (including 1969 OAU Convention, 1984 Cartagena Declaration, Common European Asylum System and Dublin Regulation)