Aotearoa New Zealand Government Evacuation and Resettlement Support for the 2021 Afghanistan: PROJECT FINDINGS

On 15 August 2021, the Taliban seized control of Afghanistan, prompting many individuals at risk to seek safety elsewhere. Deeply concerned by the dire human rights situation, a coalition of Aotearoa New Zealand Non-Government Organisations (NGOs) and members of the Afghan community joined forces to advocate for increased New Zealand Government assistance for those needing to flee.
In 2022, the coalition acknowledged that the human rights situation in Afghanistan remained critical and that ongoing advocacy was essential. The coalition sought to understand the changing circumstances to inform further advocacy that reflected the insights of people who had recently resettled in Aotearoa from Afghanistan,
as well as people working in the sector.
World Vision, ActionStation, and Amnesty International Aotearoa New Zealand commissioned Dr. Evangelia Papoutsaki and Anusha Bhana to conduct a project aimed at engaging with individuals who had resettled in Aotearoa New Zealand from Afghanistan, as well as individuals and organisations involved in the evacuation and resettlement process.
The primary goal of this project was to inform advocacy efforts related to Afghanistan and, more broadly, to enhance the New Zealand Government’s responsiveness to humanitarian crises and support for individuals resettling in Aotearoa New Zealand. This document presents key findings and recommendations derived from a series
of interviews. This project was a listening exercise, and the purpose of this project is to reflect what was heard.
It is important to note that to ensure privacy, all individual interviewee information has been kept confidential. Additionally, not all ideas and concerns raised during interviews have been included. Instead, the focus has been on grouping key themes.