NEW ZEALAND'S RESPONSE TO REQUEST FOR MIGRANT

UNCLAS WELLINGTON 000404 SIPDIS STATE FOR PRM/POP-RGEHRING AND EAP/ANP-TRAMSEY E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREF PREL SMIG NZ SUBJECT: NEW ZEALAND'S RESPONSE TO REQUEST FOR MIGRANT RESETTLEMENT REF: STATE 68806 Post delivered reftel demarche April 15 to the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT). On May 23, Michelle McGillivray of MFAT's United Nations and Commonwealth Division reported that New Zealand would be unable to resettle any of the Cuban and Haitian migrants being housed at the U.S. Naval Base in Guantanamo. New Zealand takes in 750 refugees a year through its resettlement program with UNHCR. That program does not include a humanitarian category or any flexibility allowing New Zealand to depart from the refugee quota. The country takes direction from the UNHCR office in Canberra on the refugees it resettles. SWINDELLS