Immigration New Zealand Response to Hamas - Israel Conflict

So, Immigration New Zealand's response to the conflict between Hamas and Israel has been in immigration news. It's been quite the debacle, hasn't it? We find ourselves once again navigating a humanitarian crisis, and this time it's the Israel-Hamas conflict that's got everyone up in arms.

Now, New Zealand's response has been to throw money at the problem – five tranches of support, to be exact, totalling a tidy sum of NZ$22 million. We're talking about NZ$10.5 million to the World Food Programme, NZ$5 million to the International Committee of the Red Cross, NZ$4.5 million to UNICEF, and a cool NZ$2 million to the United Nations 2720 Mechanism for Gaza. All sounds very generous, doesn't it?

But let's take a closer look. Our government's been keen to highlight that New Zealand is "gravely concerned by the impact of this conflict on civilians" and that they're monitoring the situation closely. Monitoring closely, but what does that really mean?

When it comes to immigration, it's a different story altogether. Yes, we've put in place processes to prioritise applications from those affected by the conflict, but let's not kid ourselves here. The primary support for refugees is still through our Refugee Quota, which is capped at 1500 people per year, and that's not changing anytime soon.

Since the conflict started, INZ has processed 542 applications from Israeli nationals and 127 from Palestinian passport holders. Out of these, 434 Israeli applications and 71 Palestinian applications have been approved. But here's the kicker: only Palestinians who are also citizens of a third country, and their immediate families, are being granted exit permits to leave Gaza. So, while we're waving our humanitarian flag, the reality on the ground is far more selective.

Our consular services in Cairo have assisted 26 New Zealand citizens and permanent residents to leave Gaza, but it's a drop in the bucket compared to the scale of the crisis. And let's not ignore that Israel, being a visa waiver country, means its citizens have an easier path to get here compared to those from Gaza.

In summary, while New Zealand is pouring money into international aid agencies, our direct response via immigration seems a bit lacklustre and heavily bureaucratic. We're prioritising applications, yes, but the hoops and restrictions in place reveal a far less rosy picture than the one painted by the government. It's high time we critically assess whether our actions are matching our words when it comes to genuine humanitarian support.

And that's the immigration news for Aotearoa today. Follow and subscribe for more immigration content like this. Ka Kite Ano.