13 October 2023 
 
Ref: DOIA 2324-0656 
 
 
Saska Hayes 
Email: [FYI request #23859 email] 
 
 
Tēnā koe Saska 
 
Thank you for your email of 16 August 2023, which was transferred to the office of the Minister of 
Immigration on 24 August and subsequently transferred to the Ministry of Business, Innovation and 
Employment on 20 September, requesting, under the Official Information Act 1982 (the Act), the 
following information: 
 
I request all cabinet papers that mention Refugee Claimants from 1995 to today 
 
On 31 August you were contacted by the Minster’s office to request that you narrow the scope of your 
request as the range of the documents you had requestested was so broad that it may have had to refuse 
your request due to substantial collation. In response you refined your request to the following: 
 
By way of clarification I am interested in policy documents or correspondence that discuss refugee 
claimants access to services such as education, health and social welfare.   
 
On 25 September, by telephone and subsequently by email, you agreed that in the interest of timeliness 
you would limit your request to 10 documents that MBIE had identified at that time, as a more thorough 
search would take a long time to complete. You also agreed that, while some information may be held by 
other agencies, MBIE would not transfer your request to other agencies at this time.  
 
Please find the enclosed documents indicated in the table below relevant to your request.  
 
Documents released 
#  Date 
Description 
Decision 
Information in 
scope presented as 
22 September 
1 
Paper – History of Immigration Settlement Policy to 2005 
extracts, remaining 
2005 
information out of 
scope 
Briefing – Vote: Immigration. Proposal: Refugee Status 
Released in full 
2 
January 2003 
Branch – additional baseline funding 

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Some information 
Press Release – Enhanced security checks in and outside 
3 
23 May 2022 
withheld under 
New Zealand  
section 9(2)(a) 
Some information 
Email – The Policy and Budget funding background to the 
22 November 
withheld under 
4 
allowance paid to people released on conditions 
2019 
section 9(2)(a) and 
[UNCLASSIFIED] 
out of scope 
Press release  – Budget 2002 Decision - Community based  Released in full 
5 
May 2002 
accommodation – Media Statements 
Briefing – Vote: Immigration. Proposal: Community-Based  Released in full 
6 
February 2002 
Accommodation for Border Refugee Status Claimants 
Briefing – Vote(s): Immigration. Proposal: Meeting 
Released in full 
7 
January 2004 
immigration-related international obligations 
Briefing - Funding For Auckland Refugee Council Inc’s 
Released in full 
8 
18 July 2002 
Hostel 
Some Information 
MBIE Memo - Increasing Financial Support for a Small 
9 
November 2022 
withheld under 
Group of Refugee or Protected Person Claimants 
section 9(2)(h) 
Some Information 
MBIE Memo - Increasing Financial Support to Asylum 
10  3 April 2020 
withheld under 
Claimants 
section 9(2)(h) 
 
 
Please note some information has been withheld under the following sections of the Act:  
•  9(2)(a), to protect the privacy of natural persons, including that of deceased natural persons; 
•  9(2)(h), to maintain legal professional privilege; 
•  Some information is redacted that is out of scope of the request 
 
 
I do not consider that the withholding of this information is outweighed by public interest considerations 
in making the information available. 
 
If you wish to discuss any aspect of your request or this response, or if you require any further assistance, 
please contact [email address]. 
 
You have the right to seek an investigation and review by the Ombudsman of this decision. Information 
about how to make a complaint is available at www.ombudsman.parliament.nz or freephone 0800 802 
602. 

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Nāku noa, nā 
 
 
Sam Foley 
Manager Immigration (International and Humanitarian) Policy 
Labour, Science and Enterprise, MBIE 

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