Support Systems for Immigrants in NZ
New Zealand is a diverse and multicultural society that welcomes immigrants from all over the world.
With a population of just over five million people, New Zealand has a reputation for being friendly, welcoming, and inclusive.
Besides these values, Immigration New Zealand also works with agencies across government to provide effective settlement services, tailored to the needs of different migrant groups.
Some of these services include:
- Bilingual support workers in schools who help migrant students access mainstream curriculum programmes
- ESOL in schools that teach English to non-English speaking migrants
- Inclusion programmes which are community-based and deliver initiatives that support interaction between migrants
- Welcoming communities is an initiative with local councils focusing on supporting residents and making sure the local community is welcoming towards migrants and refugees.
Housing is a fundamental need that everyone requires, particularly for new immigrants who may be starting their journey from scratch. The shortage of affordable housing in New Zealand is well known and has certainly been one of our biggest challenges: Mainly because of the cost of rent and knowing that we won’t be able to buy property in the next few years.
Education and medical care are essential to the success of any individual, particularly for children who will be the future of our society. Immigrants often face many challenges when navigating these systems. We have been incredibly fortunate by being accepted into top-notch schools and medical facilities. I know not everyone is as lucky and have faced problems with integrating their children into the school systems in terms of bullying and non-acceptance.
The other vitally important aspect is finding employment. Once again, we were in the fortunate position of having my partner finding work instantly.
Coming from a country that does not offer any of these services, makes one grateful for the opportunity to become part of an inclusive and caring country like New Zealand.
Besides that, being naturally English speaking and seeing how fortunate we are for not needing services like ESOL, does make me appreciate what I already have in place, just that tad bit more.
In conclusion, settlement support is a vital aspect of the immigration process in New Zealand. It helps make the process of settling into a new country more manageable and helps immigrants feel welcome and supported. This support is a testament to New Zealand's commitment to being an inclusive and welcoming society. Through settlement support, immigrants can begin their journey towards a better life and contribute to the prosperity of their new home.
Keeping the above in mind has made me realise how incredibly lucky we have personally been in our journey from arriving in New Zealand through to receiving residency: We have been welcomed with open arms just about everywhere we’ve been in New Zealand – and that is worth more than words can say.
SOURCE: immigration.govt.nz
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