Tēnā koutou katoa.
I’d like to begin by specifically acknowledging:
- Hon Casey Costello, Associate Minister of Immigration
- Hon Mark Mitchell, Minister for Ethnic Communities
- David Knight, International Organisation for Migration Chief of Mission
- and Ms Rachel Demas, representing the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.
Kia ora koutou katoa.
As Governor-General of New Zealand, it is an honour for me to join today in welcoming former refugees to Aotearoa, and acknowledging the kaimahi at Te Āhuru Mōwai o Aotearoa as we commemorate World Refugee Day 2025.
The first official resettlement of refugees to New Zealand began in 1944, with the arrival of 733 Polish orphans and 105 adult carers who were displaced by World War II.
Since then, New Zealand has welcomed over 40,000 refugees from countries around the world – which means a significant portion of our population has a former refugee background.
However, this number is a tiny fraction of a world-wide crisis, with the UNHCH stating there are around 130 million people who have been forcibly displaced. Almost 38 million of them are refugees.
We can be deeply proud that Aotearoa New Zealand continues its commitment to welcome those in need of a safe-haven, and that communities across the country are supporting former refugees as they begin their new lives on our shores.
Earlier in my term, I visited former refugees from Syria, who had resettled in Timaru. I saw how the people of Timaru had welcomed their new residents with open arms, ensuring they had all the support they needed to begin their new lives. It is heartening to know this story is echoed in other communities across the North and South Island.
A resettlement programme of this scale requires significant effort from Government, NGOs, and volunteers. Together, they are making a positive, lasting difference in the lives of people who need it most.
I extend a warm welcome to the former refugees at Te Āhuru Mōwai o Aotearoa here today, who have recently arrived in New Zealand. We are honoured to have you among us.
I appreciate that for most of you, building a new life at the bottom of the South Pacific – away from your homes, your families, and your communities – was not something you ever imagined would happen in your lifetime. New Zealanders cannot begin to understand the extreme situations you have endured. It takes immense bravery and strength to make this journey, and I sincerely hope that you and your families will thrive in New Zealand.
On the 25th anniversary of our first formal resettlement of refugees, Archbishop James Liston remarked that the Polish children had brought their strength of character, warmth of heart and beautiful traditions to New Zealand, and that New Zealand became richer because of them and their exemplary lives.
Those sentiments are as true today as they were then.
And so too are the sentiments of a Māori whakatauki, or saying: “E koekoe te tūī, e ketekete te kākā, e kūkū te kererū”.
The tūī sings, the kākā chatters, the pigeon coos.
This saying reminds us that many different voices singing together enriches our society – and New Zealand is all the better for it.
As you begin your life here, I hope that you hold on to who you are, and your pride in your language, traditions and culture.
Thank you for the kind invitation to join you all for World Refugee Day. I’m very much looking forward to meeting with former refugees here today, hearing more about your journeys, and of course, seeing the exciting line-up of festivities on offer.
Kia ora hui hui tatou katoa.
