Quota Refugees Ten Years On: Perspectives on Integration, Community and Identity is a multi-year research programme that was developed to better understand the long-term journeys of refugees in New Zealand. The research programme was led by the Department of Labour, with the Ministry of Social Development and the Department of Internal Affairs acting as key partner agencies.
The first phase of the research was an annotated bibliography and thematic review of the relevant literature, which provided evidence on the factors that act as facilitators or barriers to integration. The second phase gathered stakeholders’ perspectives on significant changes in the refugee resettlement sector since 1987 and on the development of refugee communities in New Zealand.
The third phase, covered in this report, was a face–to-face survey of 512 former refugees who arrived in New Zealand under the Refugee Quota Programme between 1993 and 1999. The survey was designed to be representative of the population of refugees who arrived during this period and achieved a response rate of 41.5 percent. The report also includes findings from in-depth interviews and focus groups that were used to explore certain aspects of the survey in greater depth.
The research is based on the concept of ‘integration’ as articulated by Atfield, Brahmbhatt and O’Toole (2007) as follows:
- Integration is a two-way process – it involves adjustment and participation on the part of the host society as well as the newcomer.
- Integration is a non-linear process – integration may be fractured, and integration experiences in one area can sit alongside continued exclusion in other areas.
- Integration is a subjective process – perceptions are central to the process of integration, and therefore it is important to explore refugees’ own experiences of the integration process.
The report is being written at a time when a new approach to improving refugee resettlement outcomes is being proposed through the New Zealand Refugee Resettlement Strategy (a whole of Government Refugee Resettlement Strategy has been developed with work currently underway on the detailed business case). The strategy’s overarching objective is that:
Refugees are participating fully and integrated socially and economically as soon as possible so that they are living independently, undertaking the same responsibilities and exercising the same rights as other New Zealanders and have a strong sense of belonging to their own community and to New Zealand.
Former refugees experience unique challenges due to their backgrounds and have higher levels of disadvantage than the population in general. The findings from the Quota Refugees Ten Years On programme of research show that, after 10 or more years of living in New Zealand, former refugees are doing well in a number of areas but continue to face challenges in others. Former refugees have a strong sense of identity and belonging to New Zealand, and almost all were satisfied with their life in New Zealand. The majority had made close friends from outside their community, and most were involved with groups or organisations. Those who arrived in the country as children and young people are doing well in most areas of integration.
Ten years on, employment is still the main area of challenge and, along with English language for older people and women, remains the main challenge going forward. However, former refugees have a strong desire to seek meaningful employment and contribute to life in New Zealand.