UNHCR warmly welcomes New Zealand citizenship for 'Tampa Boys'
This is a summary of what was said by UNHCR spokesperson Ron Redmond – to whom quoted text may be attributed – at today's press briefing at the Palais des Nations in Geneva.
UNHCR warmly welcomes the granting of New Zealand citizenship today to 76 refugees who were among those rescued at sea by Norwegian freighter, MV Tampa, off the coast of Australia in August 2001. The group includes 37 unaccompanied teenagers (then aged between 14 and 18) who became affectionately dubbed 'The Tampa Boys' by New Zealand officials who cared for them when they were subsequently accepted as refugees by New Zealand.
Since arriving in New Zealand in 2001, most of The Tampa Boys have since been reunited with their families under New Zealand's annual refugee quota programme of 750 people.
Overall, New Zealand has accepted 208 Afghan refugees from the Tampa, including 131 people straight from the Tampa and another 77 who underwent refugee status determination on Nauru by UNHCR, after they were taken there by the Australian navy in September 2001.
Applicants for citizenship in New Zealand must be permanent residents for at least three years, and meet good character and English language requirements, among other things. Today's group of 76 are the first of the former Tampa refugees to meet the citizenship requirements.
UNHCR Regional Representative Neill Wright congratulated the Tampa refugees for achieving citizenship, saying the occasion marks the start of their future lives as productive citizens of New Zealand. He also thanked the New Zealand Government for allowing the refugees to make New Zealand their new home, for reuniting them with their families and for the excellent services they provided to help the refugees adjust to their new country.
Speaking at the citizenship ceremony in Manukau City, New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark praised the way the Tampa teenagers had adjusted to life in their new land. She said she had followed the progress of the Tampa Boys over the past three and half years, and noted how they embraced the New Zealand way of life. She said they were already making a positive contribution to New Zealand life, and that the lives of New Zealanders had been enriched by having them here.
There are 54 people remaining on Nauru, including: 29 Afghans; 20 Iraqis; 2 Bangladeshis; 2 Iranians; and 1 Pakistani. All of these people have been through Refugee Status Determination processes at least twice and found not to be refugees. UNHCR has asked that the Iraqis on Nauru and in mainland detention centres be given a form of complementary protection by the Australian Government, until the security situation improves in their homelands and they can return in safety and dignity. UNHCR has also requested states grant complementary protection to people from some parts of Afghanistan.
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Tampa Boys rescued by Norwegian freighter become New Zealand citizens
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Tampa Boys rescued by Norwegian freighter become New Zealand citizens
8 Apr 2005 ... I realise I have to be different from where I was in Afghanistan and to take opportunities and try to be a good person," Azizullah said. The teenagers were affectionately dubbed 'The Tampa Boys' by ...... -
UNHCR warmly welcomes New Zealand citizenship for 'Tampa Boys'
8 Apr 2005 ... teenagers (then aged between 14 and 18) who became affectionately dubbed 'The Tampa Boys' by New Zealand officials who cared for them when they were subsequently accepted as refugees by New Zealand. ...... -
Refugees Magazine Issue 148: Refugee or Migrant - Why It Matters
1 Dec 2007 ... ... William Spindler Greek studies A Romanian boy picked up by the Hun- garian border police waits ... B Y A R I A N E R U M M E R Y I n August 2001, after a Norwegian freighter, the MV Tampa, rescued ...... -
Taking refuge in technology: communications practices in refugee camps and immigration detention. Linda Leung
2 Feb 2011 ... ... L; Johnson, D; Rana, M. 2009. „The lost boys of Sudan: Ambiguous loss, search for family, ... refugees and asylum seekers in the wake of the Tampa. Sydney: University of New South Wales Press. ...... -
No. 11: Alternatives to Detention of Asylum Seekers and Refugees. Ophelia Field
1 Apr 2006 ... ... The large group of asylum seeking separated children who were on board the Tampa vessel in October ... The minors, mostly 14-18 year old boys, are all now in school or jobs and are reported to be well ...... -
7. The Return of Persons not in Need of International Protection. Annex 6 - Alternatives to Detention of Asylum-Seekers and Refugees
2011 ... ... The large group of asylum seeking separated children who were on board the Tampa vessel in October ... The minors, mostly 14-18 year old boys, are all now in school or jobs and are reported to be well ...... -
Refugees Magazine Issue 125: The September Terror - A Global Impact
2 Jan 2002 ... ... A seven-year-old Afghan boy who had already made it to America faced a very uncertain future after ... allow more than 400 people stranded aboard a Norwegian ship, the Tampa, to land and ask for asylum. ...... -
Refugees Magazine Issue 127: The Environment - A Critical Time
2 Jul 2002 ... ... pert said. “That’s one for the development boys, but much of the time there is simply a ... T he captain, crew and owner of the Norwegian container ship Tampa which rescued hundreds of ...... -
UNHCR Global Report 2002 - UNHCR: An Overview - Global Programmes
1 Jun 2003 ... ... In Canada, specific attention was paid to the protection needs of separated girls and boys seeking ... owners of the Norwegian container vessel MV Tampa that rescued 438 asylum-seekers in the Indian ......