“Need A Little Mothering”

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30471, 19 June 1964, Page 2

“Need A Little Mothering”

W hen bringing refugees to New’ Zealand it was important to see that they were placed in an environment where they would fit in best and be happy, said Miss A. Bonde, refugee settlement officer of the National Council of Churches, in a talk to the women’s committee of the council.

The New Zealand Government did not want them to flock together in national groups, but to integrate into the New Zealand community, she said.

All refugees needed someone to take a personal interest in them to help them settle down happily in their new land, she said. They wanted kindness and “a little mothering.” -

There had been cases in the past of Greeks, in particular, being sent to isolated communities, unable to speak much English and feeling lonely and lost outside working hours. In time they had drifted to Wellington, where there is a big Greek population, and stayed there. Four Chinese families from Hong Kong had been provisionally accepted for New Zealand and the National Council of Churches had found sponsors for three of them.

“The men have good jobs’ in Hong Kong, but they want to come here to get away from the crowding and competition,” she said. “One, a Chinese doctor, is working in a hospital in Hong Kong. He cannot go back to China and wants security for his family, the opportunity for a good job and education for his children,” she added. He would go to Dunedin to work in a hospital, probably

as some kind of technician, until he can prove his standards meet the requirements of New Zealand. He would later have to take a degree at the University of Otago.

Greeks in Egypt made up a big category at present, she said. They were not strictly refugees, but Egypt no longer wanted foreigners there and the Greeks felt they had to leave. Many of them, whose grandfathers had settled in Egypt, had no contacts in Greece and were looking for other countries in which to settle.

Another refugee who had applied to- come to New Zealand was a Polish widow, who listed the unusual job of engine driver , among her accomplishments. If she was accepted, she wanted to look after children or work in a hospital in New Zealand.

As an indication of the thought put into settling refugees, was the case of a man with bronchitis who will be sent to Nelson because’ it has the best climate for bis condition.

Miss Bonde explained the detailed inquiries and documentation made before refugees were accepted for New Zealand and how the National Council of Churches worked with the Labour and Immigration Departments to bring them here. Miss Bonde also spoke on the settlement of refugees at last evening’s meeting of the National Council of Women.