Heavy Rain Watch – Orange - Dunedin and North Otago

MetService has issued an Orange Heavy Rain Warning for Dunedin and North Otago. Expect heavy rain overnight from 3am until 9pm Saturday, 4 October. About 60 to 90 mm is predicted, with peak rates of 10 to 15mm/h at times.
Clear your drains and gutters and avoid low lying areas. Motorists are advised to take extra care as the rain can make the road slippery and cause surface flooding. Staff will be monitoring the situation and responding as necessary.

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Dunedin City Council – Kaunihera-a-rohe o Otepoti

Refugee support

Last updated: 19 May 2025 9:17am

Welcoming and supporting former refugees in Dunedin

Dunedin is home for people from all around the world. We have a proud history of welcoming over 1,000 people from Vietnam and Cambodia in the 1980s and early 1990s. We hosted 80 Bhutanese people at Arai Te Uru Marae in Dunedin for two weeks in February 2011 when they needed shelter after the Canterbury earthquake.

In 2015 the New Zealand Government announced that Dunedin would join Auckland, Hamilton, Wellington, Palmerston North and Nelson as a refugee resettlement city. We welcomed the first group of people from Syria in April 2016, and now people who have had to flee conflict in Syria, Palestine and Afghanistan have arrived.

How can you help former refugees?

Many people want to volunteer and help those coming to settle into their new city and homes. There are a number of ways you can help.

  • Volunteer with New Zealand Red Cross (link to external website, new window) to support those coming to Dunedin. Refugee support volunteers are needed on an ongoing basis and are assigned to help newcomers settle here and become familiar and comfortable in their new home city.
  • Help new Kiwis learn English by volunteering for English Language Partners (link to external website, new window).
  • Talk to Red Cross in Dunedin to find out what items the former refugees need and organise donations from your communities. The Red Cross can be contacted via otago@redcross.org.nz or 03 477 1527.
  • Reach out – be welcoming and friendly in any interaction you may have with former refugees to Dunedin. Something as simple as having a chat over the fence or sharing a meal may make the world of difference to someone resettling without the support of extended family and friends.
  • Contact Pathways to Employment (link to external website, new window) at New Zealand Red Cross and offer a former refugee work experience or a job.
  • The refugee crisis is a global issue. You can make a financial donation to non-governmental organisations (NGOs) who are involved in humanitarian work both in New Zealand and overseas.
  • Contact New Zealand Red Cross (link to external website, new window) for more information about how to get involved.

  • Who is a refugee?

    Refugees are ordinary people facing extraordinary circumstances. They have experienced war, persecution, discrimination, racism and oppression, and been forced to flee their homes for nothing more than their ethnicity, religion or beliefs.

    Worldwide, there are now over 65 million people who have been forcibly displaced from their home. Under the refugee quota, New Zealand accepts refugees from all over the world. Many arrive in New Zealand with few to no possessions and have left behind family members, friends, homes, schools and jobs.

    Refugee status is granted by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). To receive this status, people must have left their country of origin and be able to prove it is not safe for them to return home. With their lives disrupted by conflict or persecution, refugees simply seek a safe environment in which they can resettle and freely engage in society.

  • What is New Zealand’s role?

    New Zealand is one of a small number of countries that accept quota refugees (link to external website, new window) referred by the United Nations. New Zealand accepts around 1,500 refugees per year.

    The UNHCR decides which refugees are in the greatest need of resettlement and asks resettlement countries to consider accepting them. The New Zealand Government then makes the final decision about who will be included in the New Zealand quota and ensures they pass rigorous security screening.

    All quota refugees are given permanent resident status upon entering New Zealand. They are no longer refugees and we refer to them as former refugees or people from a refugee background. With permanent residence status, former refugees are eligible for a range of benefits and supplementary allowances on arrival. They enjoy the same rights as any other New Zealand permanent resident in the areas of education, health, employment and social welfare.

  • What is the role of the Dunedin City Council?

    The Dunedin City Council supports New Zealand Red Cross and is committed to making Dunedin a welcoming city for all. The Council chairs and facilitates the Dunedin Refugee Steering Group, whose members include former refugees, community representatives, organisations supporting refugees and government departments.

    The arrival of former refugees has encouraged us to think about how we improve the delivery of services, such as health care, to our diverse community. This leads to better outcomes for everyone.

    The government has produced a strategy to support those being resettled. You can read the strategy and the goals outlined in it on the New Zealand Immigration website (link to external website, new window).

  • How can I learn more about resettlement?

    If you have any questions about resettlement please contact New Zealand Red Cross (link to external website, new window).

    You can also read about how people who have had to leave their home countries have rebuilt their lives in New Zealand:

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