Prime information sources for handling
local settlement issues
New Zealand
Immigration Service
New Zealand Settlement
Strategy, under implementation by the New Zealand Immigration Service,
makes provision for links
to community directories.
It also makes provision
for national coordination and establishment of migrant resource
services.
Settlement support
"Settlement Support New Zealand is being rolled out in 19 areas
nationwide to help new migrants and refugees to access information
and services they need to settle in their community," David
Cunliffe, New Zealand's Immigration Minister said shortly after
his appointment in 2005.
Behind the
settlement support progress lies official advice on issues for multi-agency
collaboration and practice at central and local government level
and for the non-government sector on which Cabinet was to be briefed.
Experience
with settlement support has also led Department of Labour interest
in leading short and long term planning with senior government officials.
In early February
2006 when David Cunliffe spoke in Waitakere about an example of
the service he said new migrants and refugees in Waitakere will
benefit from improved settlement assistance - thanks to the nationwide
initiative called Settlement Support New Zealand.
Mr Cunliffe
launched Waitakere's Settlement Support initiative, led by Waitakere
City Council in West Auckland.
"This
is in direct response to Goal Three of the 2004 New Zealand Settlement
Strategy for migrants, refugees and their families to access appropriate
information and responsive services that are available to the wider
community.
"We know
that the first two or three years of settlement are the most challenging
for migrants and refugees. A lack of local knowledge can mean that
people miss out on the support and services which are available
to them.
"Not only
will Settlement Support Waitakere provide a vital first point of
contact to help direct newcomers to the services they need - it
will also build on existing connections between government agencies,
local service providers, migrant and refugee communities and the
people of Waitakere.
"Migrants
have come to New Zealand to improve their lives and want to make
meaningful social and economic contributions to their new homeland.
"We all
benefit from the skills and resources that migrants bring to New
Zealand, but in order for them to be able to contribute to our communities
and our economy they need to be able to settle quickly into good
jobs and healthy communities, intact.
"By coming
here, migrants and their families make a commitment to the future
of New Zealand. We need to respond to this commitment by helping
them settle in their new community.
"I'm confident
that Settlement Support New Zealand will make a vital difference
in the settlement experiences of those migrants and refugees who
have come to live in Waitakere. We all stand to benefit from this
initiative," Mr Cunliffe said at the launch.
Briefing
to ministers
A 31 January 2006 briefing note from the Department of Labour for
the Minister of Immigration and his associate, copied to 13 ministers,
provided a New Zealand Settlement Strategy progress report. Dr Mary
Anne Thompson, Deputy Secretary Workforce provided it for the Secretary
of Labour. It was prepared by the DoL Workforce: Service International
Group, and assigned to the Director – Settlement Division,
Judi Altinkaya.
The briefing
proposed that the next phase of the development of the long term
programme of work to support the New Zealand Settlement Strategy
should be coordinated through the New Zealand Settlement Strategy
Senior Officials’ Group. The briefing proposed the long term
programme be responsive to issues identified through ongoing consultation
within migrant and refugee communities. It also proposed the programme
draw on, and responds to, the consultation findings for the development
of the Auckland Regional Settlement Strategy and other regional
initiatives.
Department
of Labour officials sought to be directed to lead the development
of a draft work programme containing a mix of both short term actions
focused on a two year horizon and longer term strategies for the
consideration of joint ministers by 30 June 2006.
A hard copy
of the briefing, provided from the immigration minister’s
office, records that copies were for ministers of Education, Pacific
Islands Affairs, Police, Economic Development, Health, Local Government,
Social Development and Employment and associate for CYF, Ethnic
Affairs, Housing, Internal Affairs, Community and Voluntary Sector.
The Auckland
strategy, in which Auckland local authorities and central government
agencies were engaged, was to be completed by the end of February
2006, and cabinet was to be briefed on it before its release. Ministers
were briefed that the Auckland strategy “raised policy and
service implications for individual agencies”.
The consultation
findings also “raise issues for multi-agency collaboration
and practice at central and local government level”.
By Anthony
Haas, Asia Pacific Economic News Bureau, Press Gallery, Parliament
Buildings, Wellington
Upated
14 February 2006
SETTLEMENT
SUPPORT -
implementation
progress
Wellington City Council entered into a contract in mid 2005 with
the Department of Labour Workforce Group to be the lead agency for
the Settlement Support initiative in the Wellington area.
This
illustrates what may happen in other local government areas under
the New Zealand Settlement programme, administered by staff in the
Department of Labour - of particular interest to those networking
to develop and implement citizenship education policies, publications
and professional development.
The Wellington
Regional Settlement Strategy was seen by advisers to local councils
“as an umbrella document that includes migrant attraction
along with support for new migrants in the community”.
In Wellington,
local management of the initiative will be through the City Council
as the lead agency. It looked to appoint a Local Settlement Support
Co-ordinator to be based in the Community Services Business Unit.
The Wellington
City Council advertised for the Settlement Support Co-coordinator,
funded by Department of Labour, in July 2005.
The Settlement
Support Co-ordinator was described as being responsible for co-ordinating
Community and government responses by assisting in local settlement
planning. The co-ordinator was to be appointed for a fixed term
of one year.
The advert
wanted to hear from people who had:
• a good
understanding of issues associated with the settlement of migrants
and refugees
• a knowledge of service provision for migrants and refugees
in the Wellington area
• key social leadership experience
• the ability to work as part of a team
• have proven competence in managing diverse and complex relationships
• excellent oral and written communication skills
• strong project management and report writing skills
• experience in developing relationships with stakeholders
and community.
In this role
the co-ordinator would:
• provide
the required information, links and activities for the local Settlement
Support Initiative to function effectively
• support the development of positive relationships between
the Settlement Network Support Group, local organisations and the
different migrant communities
• improve the delivery of services from central government
and community agencies to the migrant and refugee communities
• foster collaboration between local and regional service
delivery agencies.
Applications
closed Monday 8 August 2005. Information was provided by Nadia Fawzi,
Intercultural Relationships Co-ordinator, Community Services, Wellington
City Council. Their web is www.wellington.govt.nz/services/ethniccomm/index.html.
In April 2005
the Porirua City Council had considered the report of the Settlement
services project and framework for the development of a Wellington
regional settlement strategy.
The report
sought endorsement of the most recent phase of developing and implementing
a Wellington Region Settlement Strategy. A similar report was being
presented to Wellington City, Hutt City, Upper Hutt City, and Kapiti
Coast District Councils.
Recommendations
for Porirua
In Porirua, it was recommended that the Council agree to endorse
the settlement services framework which was expected to result in
the establishment of a co-ordination function in the three areas
of Wellington, Hutt Valley and Porirua/Kapiti, including establishment
of an advisory group and employment of a migrant resource services
co-ordinator in each area.
Council noted
that these positions were expected to be fully funded through an
application for grant funding from New Zealand Immigration Service.
The process was to be overseen by the Officer Working Party established
to co-ordinate the Settlement Services Project, reporting to the
CEOs’ Forum.
A further task was to be to incorporate issues identified, and further
actions in a reworked Wellington Regional Settlement Strategy to
be completed by the end of 2005.
A Draft Wellington Region Settlement Strategy had been developed
in 2004-05 that “aspires to make Wellington a centre of excellence
in settlement”. This links strongly to central government
initiatives to strengthen the resourcing of migrant settlement.
The Wellington
Mayoral Forum had taken a lead role on co-ordinating development
of this programme.
A key consideration
had been the role of central government (alongside local government)
in improving the settlement process. In the June 2004 Budget, central
government allocated funding for improved delivery of migrant resource
services and a project has been developed to investigate how this
could be implemented in Wellington region.
The Mayoral
Forum recommended the establishment of a co-ordination function
that would be delivered by three full-time co-ordinators of migrant
services in the Wellington region.
The New Zealand
Immigration Service had called for funding applications for this
function (tailored to the circumstances in each area) with an expectation
that nine such co-ordinators would be appointed across New Zealand
in 2005 and a further 10 subsequently.
Excerpts from
the background, wider implications and conclusions of the April
2005 report to Porirua City are recorded here.
Background
The importance of new migrants with appropriate skills to the region’s
economic development, and the importance of good migrant outcomes
to the well-being of communities, is recognised in the development
of a Wellington Region Settlement Strategy. At an Immigration Forum
for the region in August 2003, it was agreed that a settlement strategy
was needed to give a stronger framework to this area, and the programmes
of the various agencies involved. The development of the strategy
has been overseen by the Mayoral Forum. The resulting draft Strategy
aims to significantly lift the region’s performance in first
attracting, and then successfully settling migrants. The Strategy
is seen as an umbrella document that includes migrant attraction
along with support for new migrants in the community.
The Wellington
Region Settlement Strategy is closely linked to national changes
to immigration policy announced by the Government in July 2003 which
affected the way migrants can obtain work permits and New Zealand
residency. They gave effect to a change in policy direction of the
Government from being a passive recipient of residence applications,
to becoming an active recruiter of the skills and talent New Zealand
needs. A new Skilled Migrant Category replaced the General Skills
Category in late 2003/early 2004 and an enhanced points system now
applies. Bonus points recognise qualifications and experience matching
New Zealand’s skill shortages and relevant job offers in regions
outside Auckland. This has been accompanied by significant new resourcing
in the 2004 Budget.
The impact
of these policy changes is not yet clear in terms of the percentage
of migrants settling in Wellington. Good data on this is difficult
to obtain because of internal movement (city to city within New
Zealand) and subsequent emigration. The Census provides the most
robust data on migration patterns, and the NZ Immigration Service
is now recording better information to track migration trends.
Wider
implications - environmental and social
A key consideration in settlement has been the role of central government
(alongside local government) in improving the settlement process.
In the June 2004 Budget, central government allocated funding for
improved delivery of migrant resource services and a project has
been developed to investigate how this could be implemented in Wellington
region. The project examined services currently being delivered
to identify major issues and any gaps in service delivery.
The report
to the Mayoral Forum from that project highlights the complexity
of this sector and the multitude of agencies involved. A clear theme
emerged that better co-ordination of activities and work to ensure
that new settlers were aware of services available, along with an
ongoing mechanism to identify issues would be a significant improvement
on the current situation. The report recommends the establishment
of a co-ordination function that would be delivered by three full-time
co-ordinators of migrant services in the Wellington region.
Financial implications
This strategy is one of the six strategies outlined in an earlier
report to the Committee’s meeting on 23 March 2005. That report
advised that the sum package of initiatives would have financial
implications for Council. It was agreed, however, that the Chief
Executive would explore options for a co-ordinated approach with
the appropriate government agencies, and this approach will manage
the New Settlement strategy. This work is actively underway and
there is a good chance of attracting further Government monies to
co-ordinate the range of contracts relevant to the wider employment
area.
Conclusion
Maintaining and developing a skilled workforce which includes new
migrants is a key component of activities for all Councils in the
Wellington region and this is likely to be reinforced by development
of the Wellington Regional Strategy. New members of the community
who settle successfully and call Wellington region “home”
also have a positive impact on the strength and diversity of the
community. These two factors have encouraged Councils to support
migrant attraction and programmes that assist new migrants, and
to be part of a regional effort to develop a Wellington Region Settlement
Strategy.
Auckland region
Manukau City facilitated the drafting of a regional settlement strategy
for the Auckland region.
NZ
settlement sources
Te Puna Web Directory: Immigration (National Library of New Zealand)
http://webdirectory.natlib.govt.nz/dir/en/nz/community-and-social-studies/immigration/
Links to websites
about immigration to New Zealand.
Updated
by APEN, 15 August 2005
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