September 09, 2015
Manaakitanga and whanaungatanga needed for refugees.
Greens co-leader Metiria Turei says Winston Peters’ call for New Zealand to only accept refugee women and children flies against Maori notions of manaakitanga and whanaungatanga.
The New Zealand First leader has suggested that in selecting 600 Syrian refugees, the Government should tell the men to go back and fight against ISIS.
Ms Turei says Mr Peters’ views on immigration have never been rational, and his latest prescription shows no understanding of the facts of the situation.
She says the families are desperate to escape the war, and it’s in New Zealand’s interests to help refugee families stay together.
"Often what happens if you just have an individual come and they have to leave their family behind. It is very very difficult for them to settle here because they are focussing on their family and it's taking along time to get their family over. The thing about Maori they're all into whanaungatanga. We understand what it means to act as a whanau then we need to be supportive of whanau coming here" says Metiria Turei.
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