‘More support needed’ to keep Auckland refugee and migrant programmes running
Friday, 28 January 2022
Migrant community organisations in New Zealand say they are struggling to keep their programmes running due to a lack of funding and Covid-19 lockdown disruptions.
A recent study conducted by Refugees As Survivors New Zealand found there was a need for services that empowered people from refugee backgrounds to participate in employment, training, education, and their communities.
But Migrant Action Trust manager Amie Maga said without more funding, the trust would struggle to continue running its specialised services.
It runs pre-employment workshops and a community driving programme, but those had been hit hard by the pandemic and lockdowns, Maga said.
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The trust’s mixed funding model means it operates on government and philanthropic funding, as well as money from migrants who can afford the full cost of the driving lessons.
That is used to give subsidised lessons to learners with refugee backgrounds, especially single mothers and mothers with special-needs children.
“We are constantly worrying about not getting enough income for operating costs and to give subsidised driving lessons,” Maga said.
“There’s a big gap in the driver licensing support for vulnerable communities. We are hopeful for more government funding for community-led driving programmes that offer trauma-sensitive and culturally appropriate driver training for former refugees … Who else will look after the refugee whānau on our wait list?”
Maga said the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) gave the organisation one-off funding in 2020, after the first lockdown, to provide one-on-one coaching sessions.
That greatly increased the chances of getting a job for people who lacked New Zealand work experience, she said.
“We tried to apply for other funding to continue the one-on-one job search coaching sessions, but we got less than half of what we got in 2020.
“Migrants and former refugees lack and need more confidence with English for job interviews and workplace communications. We really hope we can secure long-term funding for our job search and community-led driver training programmes, rather than sending grant applications year after year.”
An MBIE spokesperson said the funding was time-limited in 2020, and that funding source was no longer available.
Redelond Tsounga is the president of the Aotearoa Africa Foundation, a charitable organisation that advocates to improve the well-being of African communities in New Zealand.
He said income the foundation’s income had decreased due to a lack of government funding during the pandemic.
“There is already a lack of services available to support Africans coming into the country from a refugee or migrant background,” he said.
“We are a neglected community and a lot of the African youth, especially, are never given the support they need to be able to really integrate in New Zealand society.
“We need funding to be able to provide food and community support. We have people calling every day asking for food,” he said. “If we’re not around, who is going to look after them?”
Fiona Whiteridge, MBIE’s general manager of refugee and migrant services, said a refresh of the New Zealand Refugee Resettlement Strategy was under way.
It “will engage with former refugee communities to understand the priorities for settlement support and to support the design of services delivered in the community”, she said.
“The aim of the strategy is to support refugees to fully participate in their new communities, including helping them find work and improve their health and education outcomes.”