18 July 2002
02/003406
Minister of Immigration
FUNDING FOR AUCKLAND REFUGEE COUNCIL INC’S HOSTEL
1.
The purpose of this paper is to provide you with information on current funding
arrangements for the Auckland Refugee Council Inc’s (ARC) hostel in West Auckland.
2.
The Prime Minister’s Office received a letter from Bill Smith, Secretary of the
ARC, dated 1 July 2002. In that letter, Mr Smith stated that the ARC urgently required
funding for its hostel because:
(a)
the funding that the hostel had received under Pilot One of the Settlement
Projects had been exhausted and funding from the 2002 Budget appropriation for
refugee resettlement initiatives would not be allocated until late August 2002; and
(b)
following the decision of the High Court of New Zealand on detention of refugee
status claimants, the NZIS has been releasing more claimants on conditions.
Such claimants are generally housed at the ARC hostel.
3.
There are two potential sources of funding for the ARC hostel. The first is
funding approved for refugee resettlement initiatives in the 2002 Budget. Applications for
a share of this funding close on Wednesday, 24 July 2002. The ARC is in the process of
finalising its application for funds for the general operation and maintenance of its hostel.
The NZIS’s Settlement Branch is working with the ARC’s President, S K Thuraisundaram
(Thurai), and the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Rolf Bertschi, to keep them apprised of
the process and timing for applications. The NZIS will prioritise assessment of ARC’s
application and, if successful, the ARC will receive the first instalment of funds in early
August. Settlement Branch officials report that the ARC President and CEO are
comfortable with these arrangements.
4.
The second source of funding is specifically for community-based
accommodation of refugee status claimants released on conditions. Government approved
an appropriation of $0.601 million for this purpose in the 2002 Budget. NZIS Chief
Operating Officer Andrew Lockhart advises that he is negotiating with the ARC CEO and
hopes to finalise the contract by the end of the week ending 19 July 2002. This contract
will cover all arrangements associated with accommodating claimants released on
conditions.
Recommendation
5.
It is recommended that you
note the contents of this paper.
Agree/Disagree
Chris
Hampton
Hon
Lianne
Dalziel
for Secretary of Labour
Minister of Immigration
2
