New Zealand will increase its refugee quota from 750 people a year to 1000.
Prime Minister John Key said the change would be from 2018.
The increase will be the first change in 40 years and falls short of the 1500 places a year that Labour, the Green Party, United Future and NGOs such as Amnesty International have pushed for.
It comes after a recommendation from Immigration Minister Michael Woodhouse was taken to Cabinet yesterday morning.
It comes ahead of next Monday's World Refugee Day, which will be marked with events at Parliament and around the country, and the official opening of the Mangere Resettlement Centre on Saturday.