I believe we should double the refugee quota in NZ, not just because of Trump’s appalling decision to half America’s refugee intake, but because historically our intake has been weak and embarrassing.
As a member of the 5 Eyes, we are part of the hegemonic military structure that bombs the countries where most are fleeing from. We aren’t bombing these people directly but we are helping target what does get bombed.
In short, we as a country have blood on our hands and an obligation and responsibility to help clean up after our carnage.
As a nation who produces a large amount of climate change emissions because of our devotion to Dairy, we have an extra obligation to start including climate refugees into out refugee quota. So let’s double the quota and that also add another 500 on top just for climate refugees.
Immigration however by the rich and property speculative is something we as a nation need to desperately put a halt to.
The stress mass immigration puts on our infrastructure, housing and social services have reached levels where the Auckland Airport is now actually gridlocked most days.
All mass immigration does is keep the speculative property bubble afloat, it does nothing for the poorest amongst NZ.
We should double and then add a bit more for our Refugee intake, but we should slash mass immigration to sustainable levels, which would be less than half of what we are currently taking in.
Free market neoliberal globalisation is not the answer and we need to force it closed by regaining our economic sovereignty while exercising our liberal values on refugees.
I agree completely. We can, and should, take more refugee people in. We still associate with those monsters who created the problems refugees face so out of conscience much less anything else, we should bring more people in. And God only knows, small agricultural towns in the Otago and Southland hinterlands desperately need some colour, class, style, good food and agreeable company.
I was told numerously by some of the locals in the small town I found myself having to live in after the Canterbury earthquakes that “ We don’t want any fuckin’ foreigners coming here. We like our town the way it is.” I would say “ The way it is?? Shops closed and closing, ignorant, nasty locals who get more ignorant and nastier and who throw their rubbish out of their cars, do burn outs everywhere and spray every single growing thing with glyphosates?”
An interesting thing about that particular ignorant and xenophobic racism is that the hideous larger town not far away has an Indian and a Thai restaurant. They’re the most pleasant people there and provide wondrous foods where there was once scrout like burgers and fish and chips. The owners greet one with dazzling smiles and good humour while the crusty old locals simply sneer as if they’re doing one a favour by taking ones money and all with faces like cracked headstones.
There is always the risk that NZ will become an humanitarian agricultural paradise rather than the hunting grounds for predator Banks and their sundry minions like real estate sales rats and Insurance criminals.
Pot, kettle, black?
I’m more than a little pissed off that the Yanks interfere in the Middle East, cause untold wars, coups, fake WMD stories, and suffering, and then the rest of the world has to step in to clean up their mess. In this case taking in refugees, displaced by US-sponsored uprising in Syria.
Then Trump has the galling cheek to close their borders to the victims of US imperialism??
Fuck him.
Yes, let’s do the decent think and take in more refugees. It’s the least we can do. At the end of the day we we’re all refugees from somewhere or descended from refugees.
The very least they should do when they arrive in the West is:
1. Behave. But it seems that’s not the case. Women in Europe live in fear of assault and rape from these savages.
2. Leave their failed culture behind. They left their home country because it didn’t work there, and it won’t work here either.
Their home country was fine, and everyone was getting along okay, until Obama, Clinton and the shrubs stuck their neoliberal noses into their countries. The west created the refugees.
We are on an over populated planet with limited resources, we will all be refugees soon enough.
http://www.22After.com
+100…
The SAVAGE is you, to generally label refugees like this, Andrew. YOU really have it it off with the Nazis this time, you are SICK.
We should take more refugees!
… and no rich New Yorkers
…and no more wealthy Chinese or Indians
( they can sort the overcrowding and political problems out in their own countries)
… without plundering our little country …where we can’t afford housing and jobs for our own youth or tertiary education… or hospital care for the elderly and those needing ‘non- urgent’ surgery
I’m all for helping those middle eastern refugees as much as we can. I believe every nation needs to chip in and give support. The reality is the refugees don’t want to be here in the first place, integration is highly unlikely and we are already struggling as it is with our own mess. Reduction in migration might not be an awful idea, less unemployment and lower housing costs. If you want to see what refugees enmasse look like, check out Molenbeek, Belgium and countless other no go zones in the heart of Europe and the IK. The only help worth giving is peace keepers, financial aid and safe zones within affected places
Of course none of these people would be refugees if it weren’t for the West interfering time and time again, but then the arms trade in the US needs to keep pumping those arms out.
New Zealanders should be ashamed about their government’s refugee policy. While they allow mass immigration, for ulterior motives, that is to pump up the “economy”, they let down many desperate who seek a safe home away from where they are living in threat of life and health.
Shame on you National and ACT.
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