To commemorate World Refugee Day, on Saturday Dame Cindy and Dr Davies joined the festivities at Te Āhuru Mōwai o Aotearoa, the Refugee Resettlement Centre in Auckland. Te Āhuru Mōwai o Aotearoa welcomes former refugees to New Zealand, giving them the assistance they need to prepare for life in New Zealand. Zaki Ayubi gave a powerful speech on behalf of former refugees, saying “You are not broken, you are becoming. You are not a burden, you are a blessing. You did not leave your potential behind, you brought it with you”. Under the Refugee Quota Programme, New Zealand accepts 1500 refugees each year, and as of Saturday morning we reached 1503 with a few more coming over the next few weeks.
To read Dame Cindy's speech, click here: World Refugee Day 2025 Speech.
For more images, click here: World Refugee Day Media Gallery.
