Police staff were involved last month as the international community marked World Refugee Day 2025.
The day - 24 June – was formally marked with a reception in the Grand Hall at Parliament, with the year’s theme ‘Solidarity with Refugees’ to the fore.
The event was co-hosted by New Zealand Red Cross and Associate Minister of Immigration and Associate Police Minister Casey Costello, who is also Minister of Customs, Minister for Seniors and Associate Minister of Health.
“The morning brought together former refugee communities, Government leaders, members of the Diplomatic Corps, UNHCR officials and NGOs to honour the journeys, voices, and contributions of people forced to flee their homes,” says Rabia Talal Almbaid, Senior Partnerships Advisor - Ethnic
“We were enlightened to hear remarks from Karen Gullick, the UNHCR Representative in Canberra, who shared insights from the recently launched Global Trends Report 2025.”
The insights included the sobering fact that as of April 2025, 122.1 million people are forcibly displaced worldwide, up from 120 million the previous year.
This puts the number of displaced people globally at one-in-67 people. The increase is largely driven by mass displacement, climate change and conflicts in Sudan, Myanmar, Ukraine and the Middle East.
The event at Te ?huru Mōwai o Aotearoa – the Māngere Refugee Resettlement Centre - included a celebration of many cultures.
Police were also present earlier in the month as the day was marked on the frontline of New Zealand’s Refugee Programme, at Te ?huru Mōwai o Aotearoa – the Māngere Refugee Resettlement Centre in Auckland.
This event was hosted by the Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment's Refugee and Migrant Services team and attended by Police Minister and Minister for Ethnic Communities Mark Mitchell, Minister Costello, agency partners, senior officials and newly arrived families at the centre.
The Police delegation was led by Assistant Commissioner Iwi and Community Partnerships Mike Rusbatch, who has since left the office ahead of his official retirement.
The Governor-General, Her Excellency Dame Cindy Kiro, acknowledged the milestone of reaching 1503 refugee arrivals under this year’s Refugee Quota Programme, with more expected in the following weeks.
The New Zealand Government has confirmed the settings for the next three-year cycle of New Zealand’s Refugee Quota Programme, starting on 1 July 2025. This review is a part of the regular three-year cycle and reflects government decisions based on international trends and operational considerations.
Community representative Zaki Ayubi addressed former refugees in the audience: “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.”
The celebration also provided space for side meetings between Police National Ethnic Partnerships and MBIE officials, focusing on collaborative employment pathways and community safety across New Zealand’s 13 refugee resettlement locations.
The event included vibrant cultural performances from Eritrean youth, Burundian drummers, Afghan dancers and Latin American groups, with kapa haka to close.
