The number of people claiming refugee status in New Zealand has exploded in the past two years, statistics released by Immigration New Zealandshow.
In the 11 months to 31 May 2024, a total of 2220 people claimed refugee status in New Zealand.
Half of these asylum seekers – 1108 people – were from a single country: India.
Before the Covid pandemic, the number of refugee claimants averaged only 400 people a year.
So a 400% increase in asylum claims strongly suggests, there is gaming.
It’s not because more genuine refugees are coming to New Zealand.
Pre-Covid, approval rates for refugee claims were around 35%, but that rate has dropped to 21% in the past three years.
So the vast majority are not legitimate.
Refugee claimants qualify for Emergency Benefits from Work & Income, and free legal aid from lawyers specialising in refugee claims. In 2000, it was estimated by INZ that each refugee claim costs New Zealand $30,000 – that figure is likely to be a lot higher now.
Let’s say it is now $50,000. The annual cost could be $100 million, which is not available for other purposes.
Refugee claimants are currently being granted 12-month ‘open’ work visas while awaiting their claims to be heard. This encourages more people to try coming to New Zealand to gain asylum-seeker privileges.
Rather an incentive.
David Farrar runs Curia Market Research, a specialist opinion polling and research agency, and the popular Kiwiblog where this article was sourced. He previously worked in the Parliament for eight years, serving two National Party Prime Ministers and three Opposition Leaders.
5 comments:
They know that if Golriz Ghahraman could get away with it, then anyone can. We are far too soft.
The last time I looked, India was a democracy, from which no-one should need to claim asylum. I trust that any who turn up at our borders are put on the first plane home.
Wanting a better life does not maketh a refugee
Poorer low income NZrs want a better life too…in NZ ….their country and that $50k or $100mill would go along way to help the poverty issues many are facing. Is this Indians in immigration helping Indians? Or just successive governments too pre occupied to take a closer look at this gaping financial hole that’ provides zero return on investment
This last comment raises a vexing question: what is an 'asylum seeker'? It is supposed to be someone escaping from systematic, severe persecution, not just someone with a low income and poor standard of living who wants better. It is natural to want to get out of such a situation, but it does not place any obligations on host states under international law such as the Refugee Convention.
It should be noted that the Refugee Convention requires asylum seekers to claim political asylum in the first safe country they arrive at.
If people are showing up in New Zealand from India claiming political asylum, clearly their point of departure was somewhere outside India
These people are not ‘asylum seekers’ or ‘migrants,’ they are border-and queue-jumping ILLEGAL immigrants.
Straight back to where their flight or boat originated.
Same deal with all the cross-Channel asylum seekers [sic] showing up in Great Britain.
Some 700 showed up in one day this week, and were welcomed with open arms by Two Tier Keith and his mates.
These are people who came across the Mediterranean from the Middle East and North Africa, making their first landfall either in Italy, Greece, or the South of France.
Clearly these are safe countries. These people are country shopping for the jurisdiction that’s the softest touch and has the best welfare benefits
Looking at those coming off the boats in England there are no women children or families. These are all young Islamic males of military with designer trainers and toting iPhones
Anyone who believes that these people will assimilate into British culture and provide a net benefit needs to go boil their head to clear their thoughts.
I watched a video today on YouTube pointing out that on average each ‘asylum seeker’ will cost Britain around £400,000 over the course of two or three decades.
Charity begins at home and to protect working class Brittons these boats should be turned around and sit back to France, where these people should be claiming asylum in the first instance.
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