New Zealand's been accused of failing to pull its weight when it comes to helping out the soaring number of displaced people around the world
People fleeing from Khan Younis to Rafah, the southern city in the Gaza Strip on 5 December, 2023, after Israeli military attacks resumed. Photo: AFP/ Yomiuri Shimbun
The number of displaced people around the world keeps going up and up - it's nearly doubled in the last decade.
And yet New Zealand's contribution towards turning the dire numbers around is still minimal.
We're not doing our bit, according to anyone with skin in the game - and it's time we came up with new ways to address an old crisis.
Today on The Detail we talk to Auckland University Professor Ritesh Shah, who says the idea that New Zealand isn't doing its fair share is valid.
New Zealand's refugee quota per year is 1,500, which is an increase from 1,000 in 2020. We've very rarely hit those numbers.
We take in roughly one refugee a year for every three thousand residents a year.
In a full house at Eden Park, that's about 15 people.
Meanwhile the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) estimates the number of people forcibly displaced and seeking safety has now passed 120 million.
"We need to be doing a better job, because we have the wealth, we have the resources, we have the land," says Shah.
But in terms of popular politics, not everyone thinks that way. The main concerns centre around the impact migrants would have on a country's economy and social identity.
But Shah says the data shows migrants are more of a benefit than burden.
"For example, if we look at the refugee population in New Zealand, after five years almost all of them are in some sort of employment, they are not reliant on government services," he says.
There have been exceptions to the Government's 1,500 asylum claim limit.
When the Taliban seized Afghanistan in 2021, New Zealand helped evacuate people stuck in conflict zone.
When Russia invaded Ukraine, the Government created a special sponsorship scheme. This allowed Kiwis to apply to bring their immediate Ukrainian family members to New Zealand to live and work for two years.
However similar kinds of aid are yet to be offered for people stuck in Gaza, a decision the Government has faced heavy criticism for.
Immigration Minister Erica Stanford defended the choice, saying with borders around Gaza closed there is no guarantee New Zealand could get people out of the country.
She argued that offering special visas would risk giving Gazans "false hope".
But while Shah acknowledges that leaving right now is nearly impossible, he says there will be a point where not only the Rafah crossing but other borders will open.
"There are also discussions around opening up other border crossings, ones that would go into Israel rather than into Egypt and that would require New Zealand to use its diplomatic relations with Israel to ensure the safe passage of those that it was protecting," he says.
"It is important that we are thinking ahead to the future, to the fact that .... Gaza as we know it is absolutely decimated and there are going to be real ongoing risks for particular groups in Gaza and we need to be ready to support and assist those who need to get out."
If you are interested in learning more about settlers in New Zealand, have a look at RNZ's Here Now series.
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