UN High Commissioner for Refugees and Refugee Families Welcomed to New Zealand
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Antonio Guterres, joined two newly arrived refugee families in being welcomed to New Zealand in a powhiri ceremony at Kirikiriroa Marae in the Waikato on Friday, 24 February. For 3 years, members of the Hamilton/Waikato community have come together on each arrival day to welcome former refugees into their new home, through the support of Te Runanaga o Kirikiriroa, NZ Police, Waikato Refugee Forum and Refugee Services.
“When refugee background families first arrive in the Waikato, they have anxiety and worry and all kinds of emotions around building a completely new life,” says Rachel. “Then their first experience in their new community is a welcome that is often very powerful. Many of our new arrivals have told us that they’ve never been welcomed somewhere before. We start off their resettlement journey with this beautiful first step, one that is really important for resettlement, and it was an honour to share this part of the process with the High Commissioner.”
For Mr Guterres, who gave an address following the powhiri, the event was extremely powerful. "This is one of the most genuine and moving reception ceremonies I have seen for refugees anywhere in the world," he said in his speech. He also spoke about the global refugee crisis and the tragedy not just of people losing their land, but of the land losing its people.
The morning’s programme also included speeches from each of the two arriving families, one from Burma and one from the Congo. “Both families, who had just arrived that morning, gave wonderful addresses,” says Rachel. “They shared how thankful they were to New Zealand for accepting and welcoming them and about what they hope to contribute to their new country. Then most touching part of the morning came after the families finished speaking, when the Burmese community and the Congolese community stood and each performed a beautiful waiata supporting the families.”
The full programme also included a kapa haka group from Hamilton Boys and Girls High and a presentation of gifts to the High Commissioner from Kirikiriroa Marae and Refugee Services’ Chief Executive Heather Hayden. Guests then shared food provided by the marae and the Colombian, Burmese and Afar communities.
Feedback following the event has been overwhelmingly positive, and Rachel is keen to recognise all who contributed to its success. “Kirikiriroa Marae did the most beautiful powhiri I’ve ever seen,” she says, “and as always it is an honour for us to work hand in hand with the Police, Waikato Refugee Forum and Te Runanaga o Kirikiriroa in this collaborative, supportive way. We are also very grateful to the Human Rights Commission, who saw this as a positive example of cross cultural connection and made a financial contribution as part of their Taku Manawa programme.”
Sadly, the event also marked a very significant loss in the community, as it was the first powhiri for newly arrived refugees after the death of Kaumatua Te Hauwhenua Kirkwood. Te Hau had been instrumental in the development not only of the Hamilton powhiri to welcome refugees but also the one at Mangere Refugee Reception Centre, the first of which took place in November of 2010.
“Te Hau’s support helped make all of this happen,” says Rachel. “He has guided us over the years, and we miss him very much. He wasn’t able to be here, but his legacy was. Thanks to him and our other partners, we have a powerful tradition that helps build a connection between former refugees’ culture and Maori culture and welcomes all our newly arrived refugee families into their new home.”
To read more about the High Commissioner's visit to New Zealand and Australia, please click here.
Group photo by UNHCR. All other photos by Jovi and Jullienne Abellanosa.