New statistics published by New Zealand Immigration shows how South Africans have been trying to emigrate to the country using refugee status, and failing.
New Zealand resettles 1,000 refugees each year through its Refugee Quota Programme. Since World War II the country has resettled over 35,000 refugees, with the New Zealand government establishing an formal annual quota for the resettlement of refugees in 1987.
In 2019, nine South Africans applied to be part of the programme – bringing the total to 83 who have tried this route since 2010.
All of these applications have failed.
Refugees considered for resettlement under the programme must be recognised as mandated refugees and referred to New Zealand by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), according to prescribed resettlement guidelines.
According to the UNHCR, far from being a source country for refugees, South Africa is a country where refugees from neighbouring countries flee