NZ refugee quota should increase amid global refugee crisis
NZ refugee quota should increase amid global refugee crisis.
The aid agency’s report, “Hunger, Harm, and Hard Choices,” is released for World Refugee Day (June 20) and highlights a dramatic increase in refugee numbers and a tragic surge in hunger, child labour, forced marriage, school dropouts, and child trafficking.
It reveals that the number of people who have had to flee their homes and become refugees has more than doubled in the past decade, from 67 million in 2016 to nearly 140 million in 2025[i].
In New Zealand, the country has met its refugee quota of 1,500 people for the second year in a row, [ii] but World Vision is calling for New Zealand to do more.
World Vision New Zealand National Director Grant Bayldon commends New Zealand for meeting the annual refugee quota, but urges a steady increase of the quota number.
“It’s hard for many of us in New Zealand to imagine having to flee our homes. But I know that every Kiwi would hope that if they were ever in this situation, they would be able to restart their lives in safety. That’s what we are doing for people, when we welcome refugees to New Zealand.
“At a time when more people need to restart their lives in safety than ever before, we have both the capacity and the moral obligation to help alleviate human suffering by welcoming more refugees and ensuring they are well supported,” Bayldon says.
He says other comparable countries welcome more refugees per head of population than New Zealand does.
“Countries such as Australia[iii] and Canada[iv] are welcoming around one refugee per 1000 people. If we were to do the same in New Zealand, that would mean increasing our quota to 5,000 people per year.
“As an island, New Zealand is unlike many countries because we do not have many refugees arriving at our border—so the least we can do is step up through planned refugee resettlement,” he says.
Bayldon says exacerbating the refugee crisis is the impact of recent global humanitarian aid cuts.
"We can’t sugarcoat this—cuts to food and other essential aid mean lives lost – especially children who are the most vulnerable to starvation. Our staff are having to make impossible choices, taking from the hungry to give to the starving. A lack of emergency assistance will ultimately lead to a small child dying in his or her mother’s arms."
World Vision’s report, conducted between January and April 2025, surveyed more than 5,000 refugees in 13 crisis-affected countries. It found that:
“This is a humanitarian catastrophe hiding in plain sight,” Bayldon says. “The cuts to emergency food aid particularly affect refugees and displaced people - families who have lost everything to conflict or disaster. Now we’re taking away life-saving food assistance. It’s unconscionable.”
Bayldon says World Vision wants to see an international commitment to restore humanitarian aid, create better pathways to safety for refugees, and invest in long-term solutions for displaced families, especially in New Zealand. “This crisis demands immediate action. Refugee families need consistent, reliable support that acknowledges their dignity and humanity. We must stop cutting compassion."
Watch Grant Bayldon speak to NZ Herald's Ryan Bridge about the escalating global refugee crisis here.
- Global refugee numbers have more than doubled in the past decade.
- NZ needs to steadily increase its refugee quota.
- Global humanitarian funding fell by more than 10% in 2024, before further widespread aid cuts had been implemented.
- The number of people going hungry in the world increased for the sixth year running.
The aid agency’s report, “Hunger, Harm, and Hard Choices,” is released for World Refugee Day (June 20) and highlights a dramatic increase in refugee numbers and a tragic surge in hunger, child labour, forced marriage, school dropouts, and child trafficking.
It reveals that the number of people who have had to flee their homes and become refugees has more than doubled in the past decade, from 67 million in 2016 to nearly 140 million in 2025[i].
In New Zealand, the country has met its refugee quota of 1,500 people for the second year in a row, [ii] but World Vision is calling for New Zealand to do more.
World Vision New Zealand National Director Grant Bayldon commends New Zealand for meeting the annual refugee quota, but urges a steady increase of the quota number.
“It’s hard for many of us in New Zealand to imagine having to flee our homes. But I know that every Kiwi would hope that if they were ever in this situation, they would be able to restart their lives in safety. That’s what we are doing for people, when we welcome refugees to New Zealand.
“At a time when more people need to restart their lives in safety than ever before, we have both the capacity and the moral obligation to help alleviate human suffering by welcoming more refugees and ensuring they are well supported,” Bayldon says.
He says other comparable countries welcome more refugees per head of population than New Zealand does.
“Countries such as Australia[iii] and Canada[iv] are welcoming around one refugee per 1000 people. If we were to do the same in New Zealand, that would mean increasing our quota to 5,000 people per year.
“As an island, New Zealand is unlike many countries because we do not have many refugees arriving at our border—so the least we can do is step up through planned refugee resettlement,” he says.
Bayldon says exacerbating the refugee crisis is the impact of recent global humanitarian aid cuts.
"We can’t sugarcoat this—cuts to food and other essential aid mean lives lost – especially children who are the most vulnerable to starvation. Our staff are having to make impossible choices, taking from the hungry to give to the starving. A lack of emergency assistance will ultimately lead to a small child dying in his or her mother’s arms."
World Vision’s report, conducted between January and April 2025, surveyed more than 5,000 refugees in 13 crisis-affected countries. It found that:
- Nearly 60% of families face severe hunger.
- Displaced families were three times more likely to experience food shortages than their host neighbours.
- Nearly half of all parents said their children were no longer in school because they had to help find food or earn money.
- Children experiencing food shortages were far more likely to experience violence in the home and be forced to marry.
- More than a third of families reported increased anxiety, depression, and behavioural changes in their children.
“This is a humanitarian catastrophe hiding in plain sight,” Bayldon says. “The cuts to emergency food aid particularly affect refugees and displaced people - families who have lost everything to conflict or disaster. Now we’re taking away life-saving food assistance. It’s unconscionable.”
Bayldon says World Vision wants to see an international commitment to restore humanitarian aid, create better pathways to safety for refugees, and invest in long-term solutions for displaced families, especially in New Zealand. “This crisis demands immediate action. Refugee families need consistent, reliable support that acknowledges their dignity and humanity. We must stop cutting compassion."
Watch Grant Bayldon speak to NZ Herald's Ryan Bridge about the escalating global refugee crisis here.