Refugees in New Zealand
As a signatory to the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees and its 1967 Protocol, New Zealand settles refugees. Your school might have students from a refugee background.
Children from refugee backgrounds have often been away from their homes, and sometimes their families, for most of their lives. They may not have attended any formal education before coming to New Zealand.
Find out more about the New Zealand Government's approach to settling refugees.
New Zealand Refugee Resettlement Strategy – Immigration New Zealand
Funding support
Funding may be available to schools with students from refugee backgrounds. Contact your regional office for more information.
Refugee Flexible Funding Pool
This provides funding for schools to support students from refugee backgrounds. The support could be:
- a bilingual liaison worker or tutor
- homework programmes for students in secondary school
- literacy and numeracy programmes to help students achieve NCEA qualifications.
Refugee Pathways and Career Planning
This is for students from refugee backgrounds at secondary school. It supports schools to work with a student on a pathway to tertiary study or employment.
Refugee handbook for schools
The handbook has information to help schools support students from a refugee background.
It includes sections on:
- welcoming students
- enrolment, placement and monitoring
- planning and delivering effective teaching programmes
- using bilingual support workers
- providing pastoral care
- supporting students at transition points.
Refugee handbook for schools