The long term lack of services for migrants and refugees in Auckland has resulted in a lost generation of refugees to crime, early marriage, unemployment, drugs and illiteracy, an Auckland Council report says.
The report, Funded Services to Migrants and Refugees in Auckland, was completed earlier this year and aimed to provide a snapshot of funded services that support the settlement of migrants and refugees in Auckland, and to identify service gaps and overlaps.
The report said more than a third of Auckland’s population is foreign born, meaning the problems of the refugee and migrant population affect the whole community.
New Zealand accepts up to 750 refugees annually all of whom complete a six-week orientation programme at the Mangere Refugee Centre, before being placed in cities throughout New Zealand, including a large number in Auckland.