Refugee Family Reunification Financial Assistance

Community Law Otago has recently taken on the task of providing free legal assistance on Refugee-Family-Reunification-Law to Dunedin's former refugees. Our volunteers work with recently resettled former-refugee families by providing assistance with applications to be reunited with family members they have left behind. The trauma and stress of being separated from partners, children, parents and other loved ones can hinder former-refugee families from settling into a new country. This stress is exacerbated if the family members overseas are in danger or without any support.

We advocate to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), on the behalf of the families to have their family members referred for resettlement to New Zealand. We also assist the families in making applications to sponsor their family members to come to New Zealand under New Zealand refugee family reunification policies.

Currently there is no funding source for this service; it is run entirely by volunteer law students and lawyers from the Dunedin community. Each application under New Zealand refugee family reunification has an application fee associated with it. Further costs may also arise, from medical check-ups, residence applications, and air fare once the applications have been granted. These costs can be a big burden for the former-refugee families, potentially preventing them from making applications to bring their family members to New Zealand.