Jacinda Ardern says New Zealand benefits from the refugee community with the launch of a new support group for migrants

By RNZ’s Hamish Cardwell

A new group was launched last night that aims to be a voice for the migrant and refugee community to engage with the Government and other policy makers.

The Labor Party leader, local politicians and MPs attended the event in Wellington, joining migrants and refugees from across New Zealand.

They were invited to an Ethiopian coffee ceremony and musical performances.

Afnan AL-Rubayee, spokesperson for the Aotearoa National Forum for Refugees and Migrants, says the attacks on the Christchurch mosque on March 15, 2019 started talks that must continue to happen.

“Because we realized that there are actually awkward conversations.

“There are people who are struggling, there are people who cannot integrate overnight … there are people who still have difficulties with some language and cultural barriers, such as our older refugees and people of migrant origin.”

Labor Party leader Jacinda Ardern was warmly received by the speakers at the event, given her leadership and compassion after the March 15 attacks.

Ardern said we are doing the refugee community a disservice if we assume New Zealand is doing them a favor by allowing them to come here.

“We are the ones who benefit from all [their] potential.

“We are the ones who … [get] that skill, that education and that vast experience. We are the lucky ones, but also the ones who have a responsibility to help realize that potential, and we are not always good at it, and there is a lot of work to do to be better at it. “

Ardern was questioned about the government’s policy of migrant family reunification and mental health support for refugees.

One attendee said it was almost impossible for people from some countries to bring family members to New Zealand and asked what the government was doing about it.

Ardern said it had increased funding for resettlements, but there were other barriers, such as problems obtaining proper identity documents.

Assistant Kalkida Yohannes said that many young people from refugee and migrant communities suffered from poor mental health.

But he said the recent increase in funding for mental health by the government was not reaching these people.