New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand hosts some 1,800 refugees and 700 asylum seekers predominantly from Asia, the Middle East, the Pacific and South America.
New Zealand is a resettlement country with an annual programme of 1,500 places referred by UNHCR. It is piloting a community sponsorship programme and has a family reunification programme for refugee families. In 2022, New Zealand agreed with Australia to resettle 150 refugees per year for a three-year period for those subject to Australia's offshore transfer arrangements. These numbers are counted from the annual 1,500 quota.
UNHCR supports New Zealand in developing national refugee legislation, increasing capacity in refugee status determination, and introducing protection safeguards in immigration procedures, including detention.
Additional information
For information about our work in New Zealand:
Are you a refugee or asylum-seeker in New Zealand? Find information about your rights and available services on our HELP site.
For legislation, case law and UNHCR policy relating to claims for international protection, visit Refworld.
