The Government would do well to rethink how it selects refugees coming to New Zealand says Pastor Michael Hewat While he agrees impartiality is regarded as one of the fundamental principles of humanitarian action, he believes that in the current situation in the Middle East and North Africa, need and religious belief are inextricably linked. Continue Read more
Posts Tagged ‘Refugee’
Refugee settlers grateful for safer lives and careers in NZ
Tuesday, June 23rd, 2015Twenty-three-year-old Rez Ricardo was born a refugee. Her Kurdish family had fled Iraq for Pakistan in the hope of receiving aid from the United Nations. Ms Ricardo was born three years after her family left Iraq and spent most of her life, until the age of 6, living in Pakistani refugee camps. The law student Read more
PM corrects himself on refugee quota
Tuesday, June 23rd, 2015At his post-Cabinet news conference, on Monday John Key said he had been wrong and the numbers were much lower. Mr Key had repeated the claim several times that thousands and thousands of refugees make it into the country, despite the annual refugee quota being just 750. He said many more came in under the Read more
Message for World Day of Migrants and Refugees
Friday, September 26th, 2014
The full text of the Holy Father’s Message for the World Day of Migrants and Refugees 2015 was published on 23 September: Dear brothers and sisters, Jesus is ‘the evangeliser par excellence and the Gospel in person’. His solicitude, particularly for the most vulnerable and marginalised, invites all of us to care for the frailest and Read more
Keep their voice loud
Friday, October 11th, 2013
Recently I had a great opportunity to know the reality of migrants from Myanmar living on the Myanmar-Thai border. In Ranong, I taught English in a learning centre and I was amazed by the children’s interest in learning and by their respect for their teachers. I also realized that learning English and Thai can make Read more
Pope Francis at Lampedusa and Princess Diana
Tuesday, July 16th, 2013
It was a shipwreck of African migrants off the coast of Lampedusa, a small island in the Mediterranean, that spurred Pope Francis into action. In the past 18 months more than 500 people have died, or gone missing at sea, trying to escape Africa. The world barely noticed. Standing on Lampedusa on Monday, Francis prayed Read more
Pope to visit Lampedusa refugee destination
Friday, July 5th, 2013
“Deeply touched” by the recent sinking of a boat carrying migrants from Africa, Pope Francis will visit the Italian island of Lampedusa — a frequent destination for refugees — on July 8. Officially part of Sicilian territory, the isolated island of 5000 inhabitants is less than 115 kilometres from the coast of Tunisia, making it Read more
Presbyterian Church – urgent problem relocating Pacific climate change refugees
Tuesday, October 9th, 2012
The Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand is calling for the New Zealand Government to establish relocation strategies with the governments of Pacific island nations in danger of disappearing as a result of climate change. A recommendation for the Church to advocate for climate change refugees was accepted with unanimous support at the Church’s biennial Read more
Nauru: new President but old refugee policy
Tuesday, November 15th, 2011
The government of Nauru has indicated there will be no change in its support of the Coalition’s plan to reopen the Howard-era refugee processing centre, despite the sudden resignation of President Marcus Stephen. Nauru’s new President, Frederick Pitcher, told Nauru media there would be no change in the government’s course, despite the departure of his Read more
Pope: Welcome refugees until they can safely return home
Friday, June 24th, 2011
Pope Benedict marked the UN day for refugees by urging civil authorities and all people of good will to welcome refugees and guarantee them dignified living conditions until they can freely and safely return to their homeland. The pope’s comments were made during his Angelus message. Speaking on Vatican radio, Archbishop Antonio Maria Veglio, the Read more
- Europe needs more humane treatment of refugees, says expert
- Hindus and Jews laud Pope for embracing Gypsies
- In Australia, World Refugee Day marked by protest
- Treating asylum seekers well is in our interests
- Australia ranks 46th in refugee intake table
- Poor countries shoulder burden of refugees
- The lawful presence of 'illegal arrivals' on 'illegal boats'