A scheme enabling community organisations to directly sponsor refugees will become permanent from 1 July and scale up to 200 places per year.
Associate Immigration Minister Casey Costello announced the expansion of the Community Organisation Refugee Sponsorship scheme, which currently supports approximately 50 refugees annually. The scheme was piloted in 2018 and extended twice before being made permanent.
Approved community groups provide refugees with housing, work and education support, while Immigration New Zealand manages processing, health screening and international transport. New Zealand's total refugee intake remains at 1500, with places gradually shifting from the government-run Refugee Quota Programme as the community pathway grows.
"The strength of the programme lies in the human connection - communities providing practical support, a sense of belonging, and helping people find their feet from day one," Costello said.
Green MP Ricardo Menéndez March described the announcement as window-dressing that allows the coalition to offload refugee responsibilities. He said the government ignores rising global displacement and called for community places to supplement rather than replace quota allocations.
World Vision's Rebekah Armstrong said strengthening community involvement is welcome but should add to the quota. "At a time when global refugee protection needs are at a record high and humanitarian funding is under increasing pressure, New Zealand should be looking for ways to expand protection, rather than simply redistributing existing places," she said.
Costello said New Zealand takes the third highest number of UNHCR-mandated refugees globally, after Canada and Australia.