Concerns over new refugee resettlement providers post Red Cross

Race Relations Commissioner Meng Foon says the new resettlement providers have been "invisible" compared to Red Cross. Photo / Supplied

Concerns have been raised with Immigration NZ and the Government after some newly-arrived refugees in Auckland were allegedly placed into cold homes without heating or basic items and left without support.

Race Relations Commissioner Meng Foon has sought answers from Immigration NZ and the Government over the treatment of these refugees after volunteers and advocates laid complaints.

Kāhui Tū Kaha took over responsibility for settling refugees into the community in July after New Zealand Red Cross lost a tender for the contract.

Foon said similar problems had also been reported in Christchurch, where a social services provider, Purapura Whetu, won the tender.

The commissioner said the new contractors did not appear to have the same capacity or volunteer network as Red Cross to support quota refugees, who were often traumatised and in need of intensive support in an unfamiliar environment.

Volunteers assisted refugees with enrolling children in school, getting power and water connected, finding a GP and dealing with Work and Income.

"The new providers decided they weren't going to use volunteers, which is crazy because we've got dozens and dozens of people who are only too happy to help," a volunteer in Auckland claimed.

The volunteer said, in their view, the level of support for refugees appeared to have reduced as a result. In one case, it's claimed a family was simply given a key to a flat when they left the Māngere Refugee Resettlement Centre.

"They were just told 'goodbye'. Nobody to even take them to the place or anything."

There were also concerns about the adequacy of housing and the provision of basic amenities. Some refugees allegedly arrived at their houses to find there was no bedding or fridge.

It's also claimed that one Afghan family was placed in a cold, damp home during winter, which did not meet Healthy Homes standards.

"They have been very cold all winter," the volunteer claimed. "There is a little non-compliant wood-burner so they run heaters all night and have got $450 power bills which they can't afford."

In another case, it's alleged a family of five was placed in a small, two-bedroom apartment in Auckland.

Refugees spend six weeks at the Māngere Refugee Resettlement Centre before being placed in the community and supported by contracted providers. Photo / Doug Sherring

"It's in a desperate state, New Zealand housing," Foon said. "So the provider is only doing their best but they're creating another problem, of overcrowding."

Foon wrote to Immigration NZ and Immigration Minister Michael Wood, saying that he was "hearing a lot of anxiety" about the new providers in the two cities.

He said the new contractors were "invisible" compared to their predecessors.

TVNZ reported this month that Wood had asked immigration officials to investigate after concerns were raised about the new Christchurch provider, Purapura Whetu.

A spokesman for the minister told the Herald that initial advice from officials indicated that the problems were "isolated".

In a letter to the Race Relations Commissioner, Immigration NZ national manager Andrew Lockhart defended the awarding of contracts to new providers. He said they all had a "strong track record" in providing social services and working with vulnerable communities.

Lockhart said the housing situation in New Zealand was "very challenging at present" and it could take some time to secure a house for refugees. Providers were given a week's notice to furnish a property, and families could also get access to grants to buy basic items, he said.

Immigration Minister Michael Wood says he has been advised that problems with the new providers have been "isolated". Photo / Mark Mitchell

Kāhui Tū Kaha is a trust which specialises in social housing and mental health support. Neither Kāhui Tū Kaha nor Purapura Whetu responded to the Herald's repeated requests for comment.

Red Cross also lost the tender for settlement services in Hamilton, where Hamilton Multicultural Services Trust has taken on that role.

The trust's operations manager, Ellie Wilkinson, said it was appropriate for the Government to put the settlement contracts out for tender after Red Cross had held them for an extended period.

"I think it was time that Government came back out to the sector and said 'Who else could do this? What could that look like?'"

She said the transition between providers in Hamilton had been smoother because her organisation had a close relationship with Red Cross and was able to recruit many of its volunteers. This may not have been the case in Auckland and Christchurch, she said.

After a six-week initiation at the Māngere centre, settlement providers take over responsibility for supporting quota refugees for up to two years.

A former Red Cross volunteer in Christchurch said: "A typical refugee family, when they emerge from Māngere ... they've never been in a supermarket, they've never seen a doctor at a GP practice, they've never seen a dentist, they've never had or know how to work a bank account. They have no idea about the ins and outs of what renting a property means, the kids have never been in a school.

"This is an utterly and completely foreign land to them and what we often think as Kiwis is well, they're lucky they've arrived in New Zealand, and she's all right mate. But it's not easy, and it takes a lot of skill and training."

New Zealand takes 1500 quota refugees per year, 155-175 families in Auckland, 140-150 in Christchurch.