Refugee crisis: Pressure on John Key to up New Zealand's quota

A Turkish police officer carries the lifeless body of refugee boy Aylan Kurdi. Photo / AP

Millions of refugees have fled from Syria since conflict began in 2011 but the number New Zealand has taken in would almost fit in one of Auckland's new double-decker buses - and Prime Minister John Key is coming under intense pressure to change that.

Despite the exodus of four million from Syria during the fighting since 2011, New Zealand has taken 121 refugees, including 83 under its quota and a further 33 who arrived as asylum seekers since 2011.

There have been calls from the UN and other agencies for other countries to step up to help as the refugee crisis moves across Europe.

But Mr Key's change of stance was probably due to the bombardment of pressure on him domestically as New Zealanders reacted to the crisis and photos of 3-year-old Aylan Kurdi, who drowned with his brother while trying to get to Kos.

Yesterday Mr Key said the Government could move to address the Syrian refugee problem earlier than he had intended. Earlier in the week Mr Key had said New Zealand would not reconsider its refugee quota numbers or an emergency intake for Syrians until after a review next year.

The plight of migrants like those stranded in Hungary en route to Germany has drawn calls from across New Zealand for an urgent response. Photo / AP

However yesterday he indicated he would act earlier. "We're not ruling out looking at whether there is more that we could possibly do earlier and maybe specifically in relation to what we are seeing at the moment."

That indicates any action will be specific to Syria rather than an overall lift in the quota because New Zealand could not pick and choose which countries it gets its refugees from.

However, last year even the 100 places the Government allocated for Syrian refugees were not filled.

A spokeswoman for Immigration Minister Michael Woodhouse said the shortfall was because some refugees withdrew because of family or other reasons. A few were also declined because they did not meet Immigration New Zealand's medical requirements. The remaining 17 places are expected to be filled in this year's quota.

The apparent change of attitude follows a chorus of calls to lift the quota or allow for an emergency intake from Syria.

Race Relations Commissioner Susan Devoy said New Zealand had not changed its refugee quota in almost 30 years.

Hundreds of migrants wait at Keleti Railway Station in Budapest after Hungarian police stopped them boarding trains to Germany. Photo / AP

"We can and should do more. Kiwis shouldn't be bystanders as the world faces our worst humanitarian crisis in recent history."

The leaders of the Anglican and Catholic churches also joined forces to urge Mr Key to act, saying New Zealand has been "enriched for generations by the arrival of migrants, and we have the capacity as a community to respond to this global crisis at a greater level than we are doing now".

The letter was signed by Anglican Archbishops Philip Richardson and Brown Turei, and the Primate Cardinal Archbishop of Wellington, Cardinal John Dew.

Mr Key said the primary focus was on increasing aid funding for refugee camps in countries such Turkey, Lebanon and Jordan which were bearing the brunt of what has been described as the biggest refugee crisis since World War II.

"Pouring money, for instance, into facilities in places like Turkey, educating young people who ultimately might want to return one day if [Islamic State] can be defeated, can also be a very important thing to do."

Mr Key denied he was unsympathetic to the Syrians' plight.

"Like everybody, we understand the enormity of the issue and we understand the pain and suffering people are going through."

Opposition parties and other non-government organisations have also called on the Government to either increase the quota or allow for an emergency refugee allocation, as happened with the the Tampa refugees.