Supporting Recent Migrant Victims
Action on family violence is a priority for the NZ Government. A number of reports from 2018 refer to the necessity to do more to increase awareness of family violence issues. A cross-Immigration New Zealand (INZ) Victims of Family Violence Project 2019: Final Report was instigated to assess the effectiveness of INZ’s approach to both preventing and responding to family violence for recent migrants, namely people who have lived in New Zealand for five years or less.
The Recent Migrant Victims of Family Violence Project 2019: Final Report provides an account of its key phases and findings. The Settlement Unit within INZ led the Victims of Family Violence Project and was instigated to assess the effectiveness of INZ’s approach to both preventing and responding to family violence for recent migrants.
The Settlement Unit within INZ led the Victims of Family Violence Project as part of its work to implement the NZ Migrant Settlement and Integration Strategy (NZMSIS), which is the Government’s approach to settling migrants in New Zealand. The project also supports one of the six areas of focus for INZ’s ‘Striking the Balance’ Strategy: Minimising harm from immigration’.
The focus of the project is how INZ can minimise harm to recent migrant victims throughout the end-to-end immigration and integration process, which includes INZ’s information provision, visa policy and processing responsibilities. INZ has two special visa categories for migrants in New Zealand who have experienced family violence: a temporary work visa and a special residence category visa (FV visas). While men can be victims of family violence, the visa data and literature reviewed as part of this project confirmed that most victims are female.
The methodology, which began in January 2019, comprises a four stage-approach. Phase 1 focuses on the scanning of international and national literature, identifying common barriers and responses for recent migrant victims of family violence and a summary of New Zealand’s family violence statistics and FV visa data.
Phase 2 compares New Zealand’s legal framework and immigration policies for preventing and responding to recent migrants, with those from our key migrant-receiving countries – Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States.
Phase 3 assesses ‘Policy in Practice’ based on interviews with key relevant NGOs (Non-Government Agencies) observing, accessing and obtaining FV visas forming the basis for INZ discussions and action, which is Phase 4 and the final report.
Pasefika Proud Pathways for Change 2019-2023 Pacific families and communities are safe, resilient and enjoy wellbeing.
Pasefika Proud is a social change movement – ‘by Pacific for Pacific’ – to boost wellbeing for Pacific families and transform attitudes, behaviours and norms that enable violence. Our name and strapline embody our strengths-based, community-led approach:
Pasefika Proud: Our Families, Our People, Our Responsibility