Announcement on Whanganui's refugee nationality and numbers expected in November

Refugees are due to arrive under the settlement programme from April 2020. Photo / Bevan Conley

It'll be another four months before the nationality and exact number of refugees arriving to Whanganui under the Government's settlement programme is officially announced.

In February Immigration Minister Iain Lees-Galloway announced Whanganui would be taking on refugees as part of the refugee resettlement programme, alongside Masterton, Levin, Blenheim and Timaru.

Ashburton was named as a sixth settlement location in May.

Immigration New Zealand national manager refugee division Andrew Lockhart said the first intake of quota refugees is set to take place from April 2020.

"Decisions on the numbers and nationality of the refugees who will settle in Whanganui are still being finalised. We hope to make announcements regarding this in November this year," he said.

Lockhart said work is continuing on selecting the organisation, or organisations, that will provide settlement services.

It's expected the tender outcome will be announced in October.

At an April council meeting, Whanganui district councillors discussed that the first intake would involve up to 15 refugees, or three to five families.

It was also discussed that seven intakes per year is planned from July 2020, which would bring in between 70 and 105 refugees per year.