Syrian refugees arrive on a dinghy after crossing from Turkey to Greece. Photo/AP
The plight of refugees has been concerning. Tauranga could be a destination for displaced people, Rod Vaughan writes.
For what has seemed like an eternity, people all over the world have been transfixed by the mass exodus of refugees from Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan.
Around 350,000, mostly from Syria, have fled to the European Union this year, desperate to escape from the hell-holes their homelands have become.
The harrowing scenes of men, women and children trudging across the border to Hungary only to be confronted by baton-wielding police intent on preventing their onward progress to Germany has moved many of us to tears.
And who will ever forget the heartbreaking image of the body of a 3-year-old boy who, along with his brother and mother, was drowned on the perilous journey across the Mediterranean?
The reaction in New Zealand has been swift and vocal, with many individuals and organisations pleading with the Government to double our annual quota of 750 refugees.
For days, Prime Minister John Key (pictured) appeared to vacillate as he weighed up the implications of resettling so many traumatised people here. But now he has spoken, and pledged to accept 750 Syrian refugees over the next three years, including 600 in an emergency intake above the usual annual quota of 750.
The cost of resettling them is put at almost $50 million, which is over and above the $58 million currently spent on refugees every year.
Given that there are 4 million displaced Syrians, it could be argued that our contribution is parsimonious, to say the least, but as Key is quick to point out, even another 750 hitting our shores will stretch the system here.
With the ageing Mangere Resettlement Centre under so much pressure and only four other resettlement locations around New Zealand operational, namely Hamilton, Palmerston North, Wellington and Nelson, perhaps it's time for Tauranga to step up to the mark and do its bit for refugees.
Concerted public pressure could persuade the Government to establish a resettlement centre in the city when it conducts an immigration review early next year.
Tauranga has a strong track record and willingness of supporting migrants from other countries...
It's a proposal that resonates with Mayor Stuart Crosby, who told the Bay of Plenty Times Weekend that it's unclear at this stage what Tauranga's role would be and what resources would be required.
"But I would be happy for a government-funded centre to be set up in Tauranga, if that was required. Tauranga has a strong track record and willingness of supporting migrants from other countries, through the Tauranga Regional Multicultural Council and other support agencies.''
The number of foreign-born residents in the Bay has more than doubled, from about 14,000 in 1996 to nearly 29,000 in 2013.
Earlier this year, the Bay celebrated its growing role as a place for migrants to settle and contribute to the community with the 16th annual Multicultural Festival, which showcased the region's ethnicities.
The New Zealand Red Cross, which is the primary provider of refugee resettlement services, also sees merit in Tauranga becoming a resettlement location.
The organisation's national programme development manager, Rachel O'Connor, told the Bay of Plenty Times Weekend that the increased refugee quota could be the catalyst for another refugee centre.
"I'm originally from Te Puke and the Bay of Plenty is the land of milk and honey, so who wouldn't want to live there?,'' she says with a laugh.
"The determining factor for a new centre would probably be housing availability, access to services and opportunities for employment.
"Tauranga is a very interesting location in relation to that, particularly in terms of access to employment, and it's also got a very strong migrant network with migrant employee groups and things like that.''
O'Connor says, while Tauranga "ticks most of the boxes," the city will also have to provide the right staff in terms of social workers, resettlement case workers and volunteer co-ordinators.
Hamilton, which resettles about 120 refugees a year, has about 100 volunteers and a slightly smaller number would be required in Tauranga.
"Hamilton runs an excellent service and it could help Tauranga get up and running.
"My guess is that Tauranga could be operational within three to six months of getting the go-ahead.''
If Tauranga needs some guidance on how to establish and operate a well-run refugee resettlement area, then it would do well to look at what's been achieved in Nelson.
With a population of 46,000, it's much smaller than Tauranga, which has 128,000 inhabitants, but is punching well above its weight.
The South Island city has been resettling refugees since the 1970s, with about 750 former refugees and their families now living there.
All it takes is some dedicated citizens to team up with the council and Red Cross and to push Immigration to allow refugees into their communities.
The co-ordinator of lobby group doingourbit.co.nz, Murdoch Stephens, told the Bay of Plenty Times that other metropolitan areas like Tauranga could use it as a model.
"Nelson is doing well, in the sense that it shows there is the capacity to take more refugees.
"It shows we have the capacity in other areas of New Zealand like Tauranga to do as much as Nelson.
"All it takes is some dedicated citizens to team up with the council and Red Cross and to push Immigration to allow refugees into their communities.''
Nelson is seen as a warm and welcoming place for refugees to settle, and has become home for a variety of ethnic groups from countries such as Bhutan, Burma, Vietnam and Cambodia.
Many arrived troubled and traumatised, unable to speak much English and totally dependent on others to meet their needs.
Issues that had to be addressed included:
* Language and communication barriers and lack of interpreter services
* Barriers to employment and training due to language issues, disrupted education, lack of confidence and employer discrimination
* Complex health issues requiring a collaborative approach, wrap-around services and specialist attention
* Building capability and leadership within their communities
* Developing cohesive pathways and opportunities to participate and contribute meaningfully to their new communities
Helping them meet these challenges in Nelson has been a host of government and non-government organisations, as well as many community agencies and volunteers.
It hasn't always been a smooth ride for all concerned but, thanks to a supportive community, the lives of hundreds of people have been changed forever.
There are lots of success stories of people rebuilding their lives and then reinvesting back into the community.
Ms O'Connor says New Zealand has been resettling refugees for more than 70 years, with many spending up to 17 years in refugee camps before arriving in this country.
"There's a period of rebuilding when they get here but we do a good job getting refugee families contributing back into the community.
"Last year we had the first Somali medical graduate, who is now a doctor working in one of the Auckland hospitals.
"There are lots of success stories of people rebuilding their lives and then reinvesting back into the community.''
Whether this inspires Tauranga folk to lobby for a resettlement centre is far from clear - given the scale and complexity of the Syrian situation, which is the greatest humanitarian crisis of the 21st century.
The exodus of refugees is equivalent to New Zealand's population of 4 million people.
While there is a huge groundswell of sympathy for those fleeing from the warring factions in Syria, this is likely to be tempered with concern over some of the unintended consequences of opening our doors to them.
This has been alluded to by Immigration Minister Michael Woodhouse, who says he has received a raft of emails about resettling Syrian refugees here, and "the mood isn't one way''.
Woodhouse says some New Zealanders are concerned about the threat they may pose to our security and "are worried about what attitudes people from war zones may bring with them''.
There's no doubt the risk of Islamic State or any other terrorist group infiltrating New Zealand masquerading as refugees cannot be completely discounted.
Even bona fide refugees traumatised by warfare or other circumstances can be a threat to our safety and security, as evidenced by the Somalian woman who stabbed the pilots of an Air New Zealand aircraft during a botched hijack attempt in 2008.
The 34-year-old had 27 previous convictions and was on bail for threatening to kill and possession of a weapon at the time of the hijacking.
It's a sensitive issue that people are often reluctant to talk about in public, for fear of being accused of xenophobia.
One couple who spoke to the Bay of Plenty Times on condition of anonymity said there were too many unanswered questions with regard to Syrian refugees.
"How is John Key going to make sure we get genuine Syrian refugees here? Are they genuine refugees or are they potential terrorists and how do you check up on that sort of thing? You see it in other countries where there are large number of different cultures coming in and causing problems."
The couple are also concerned that many of the Syrian refugees may be economic migrants who just want to move to other countries for a better standard of living.
"They don't want to stay in Hungary, because it's not good enough for them. If they were genuine refugees, they would be happy to stay there."
The couple emphasise they have no problem with doubling the intake of refugees to this country, providing it's done in "a controlled and considered way and we know as much as possible about who they are and where they are coming from".
I think we can trust the UN and New Zealand screening processes not to let terrorists or others slip through the system.
Such concerns are nothing new to Ms O'Connor, who is keen to allay them.
"There has been a lot of dialogue over do we say these people are refugees or do we say they are migrants. But at the end of the day, we have to say these people are scared for their lives and desperate to get out of Syria.
"Ones that come here have first to be recognised as a refugee by the UN, after which New Zealand Immigration go over there and do further screening before accepting them.
I think we can trust the UN and New Zealand screening processes not to let terrorists or others slip through the system."
Whatever concerns we have in New Zealand pale into comparison with the situation in Germany, where most of the refugees are heading.
About 800,000 from Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan will be resettled there this year, at an estimated cost of$11 billion to the German Government.
Many are making a beeline for the Bavarian capital of Munich, which has absorbed more than 25,000 in the past week alone, with many more on their way.
Refugees have been arriving at the Munich railway station at the rate of 300 an hour, met by crowds of Germans offering assistance and accommodation.
"Politics has failed, so we have to do something," one woman was quoted as saying. "I think this is my duty. I can't close my eyes any more."
This writer's eldest son, Richard Vaughan, who lives in Munich, says feelings in his neighbourhood of Neubiberg are mixed.
"Most people are understanding of their plight and want to support them, but there is also some anxiety about the possibility of violence both by and against asylum seekers."
Richard says a large tent, which has just been erected in a park next to his house, is designed to accommodate up to 300 refugees. "Over 1000 asylum seekers arrived in Munich today and they are being distributed out to centres like this across Germany."
While the majority of Germans are pitching in to help the refugees, there are those who are alarmed, like some of Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservative coalition partners who believe the influx is unsustainable.
Every little bit helps.
And not to be outdone, neo-Nazi elements have mounted about 200 attacks on refugee hostels this year.
Against this backdrop, New Zealand's role in Europe's biggest refugee crisis since World War II may seem miniscule but, as Ms O'Connor points out, "Every little bit helps."
"I asked a refugee mum recently what was the thing she most looked forward to about living in New Zealand and she said going to sleep at night without feeling scared."
So maybe the time has come for Tauranga to take a lead from Nelson and step up to the mark.
As Mr Stephens said earlier in this story: "All it takes is some dedicated citizens to team up with the council and Red Cross and to push Immigration to allow refugees into their communities."
With Tauranga Mayor Stuart Crosby already on side, what could be more simple?
People aged 60-plus accounted for 55% of all house fire deaths over the past 5 years.