New Zealand refugee resettlement deal likely to wind up Source:-islandsbusiness New Zealand is set to walk away from its agreement to resettle refugees from Australia, with about half the places on offer unfilled. In 2022, the governments agreed a deal for 450 people in Australian offshore detention centres to settle in New Zealand, following certification as refugees. However, with a new government in office in Wellington, there appears to be little appetite to continue the arrangement past its expiry in June 2025. The deal’s end could mean refugees in Australia’s offshore processing have one fewer avenue for resettlement, concerning advocates. Two years into the three-year agreement, the UN Refugee Agency has referred 385 refugees for consideration, with 210 approved and 172 settled in NZ. The low take-up, according to figures from NZ Immigration, means New Zealand is extremely unlikely to reach the deal’s intended quota. Casey Costello, NZ’s associate immigration ...