Settling In Palmerston North and Feilding - Human Rights Commission

3.1. ACCESS TO SERVICESCommunity Voices‘How can we distribute information so new migrants get the information when they arrive? – I needed regional information – for 4 monthsI knew no one til I met someone at the market. It was a very lonely and difficult time – it could have been much easier.’‘Migrants don’t have any formal services or department that provides services to them when they arrive like the refugees do. To be givena booklet at the airport of where to get these services will help them settle quite easily. Information like school, medical provider, where toget driver licence, places of worship, ethnic group, migrants mothers and toddlers group, where to get halal food etc.’‘Compared with communal culture in Indonesia, New Zealand culture that tends to be more individualistic caused the difficulty in gettingmore information about healthcare for children such as immunization, insurance and law concerning health and safety for children. Thehabit of finding information from the internet is not ingrained yet. Indonesians prefer to meet and ask people directly to find out what theywant to know.’From focus groups April/May 2009IntroductionSETTLING IN PALMERSTON NORTH AND FEILDING24Being able to access the services that you need to house and feed your family, to get medical help when required, to meet your spiritual needs,to travel within your community and to make the most of all that it has to offer are fundamental aspects of social well-being for all of us. Forrefugees and migrants who may have very limited English language, no understanding of how our agencies operate and very little disposableincome, the challenges of accessing even the most basic services can be daunting. A range of issues are commonly raised by refugees andmigrants around this. In general, they relate to:• inadequate preparation for their new home and a lack of targeted resource material outlining basic information for newcomers uponarrival• lack of knowledge about the ‘systems’ here and about rights and responsibilities in relation to employment, tenancy, family relationships• the limitations and costs of public transport to get places (particularly in smaller communities) and the difficulties (in terms of cost andlanguage) of gaining a driver licence and owning a car• costly/inaccessible health care (eg availability of GPs and knowing how to find one, and waiting times for specialist and mental healthservices)• a fear of officials and government agencies due to past experiences and a reluctance to engage with them• poorly connected and confusing service delivery arrangements• limited inter-cultural understanding within service delivery agencies• a lack of interpreters, translated material and ESOL opportunities• little understanding of the nuances that are specific to the New Zealand way of life.Many of these issues (along with related suggestions) have been raised by focus group participants in Palmerston North and Feilding withvarying degrees of urgency. These views have been collated and outlined below. In most instances, issues related to accessing appropriatehousing would also be included within this key findings section. However, as this issue has emerged as one of considerable significance inPalmerston North, it has been discussed separately in the following section.Key Issues (feedback from focus groups) 24Information Needs for NewcomersWelcome Information• ‘We need more help and information about settling, housing, cultural awareness, explaining systems, etc’• ‘More information about life in NZ before migration’• ‘Using I-site (In PN and Feilding) as a ‘Welcome Site’ for information for locals who come to live not just visitors. Issue of an EventsCalendar as part of that Welcome Information’• ‘Migrants don’t have any formal services or department that provide services to them when they arrive like the refugees do. To be given abooklet at the airport of where to get these services will help them settle quite easily. Information like school, medical provider, where to getdriver licence, places of worship, ethnic group, migrants mothers and toddlers group, where to get halal food etc.’• ‘I Site could have Welcome Packs – the Square and Manchester square is a natural place for people to go – I site could have informationthere.’• ‘There must be a one-stop shop where migrants can go where all the support needed is in one place. There should be an assessment andevaluation of people who are in need.’• ‘A Mayoral “Welcome Morning Tea”- perhaps every 6 months – a letter of invite and the date of the next one could be issued as part ofthe Welcome Pack at the I-site or is there another way it could be distributed – through real estates etc? This discussion grew into a NewResidents Expo where local businesses and community services could “lay out their wares” in a way that was particularly appropriate tonew residents.’24This feedback comprises direct quotes from focus group participants or notes as interpreted andpresented by facilitators.