The New Zealand government has explored the possibility of creating a special visa category for Palestinians, similar to the one offered to Ukrainians fleeing the war, according to internal documents. Immigration Minister Erica Stanford requested an estimate of the number of Palestinians who might apply to join family members in New Zealand if such a visa were introduced. However, the Cabinet ultimately decided to keep the current visa settings.
The decision comes as humanitarian groups urge the government to provide a safe haven for Palestinians affected by the ongoing conflict in Gaza. Since the Hamas attack on Israel in October, many Palestinians have been displaced and face dire conditions.
“I just want to give them another chance at life,” said Aucklander Minas Al-Ansari, who is trying to bring her aunt, uncle, and five cousins to New Zealand. “They’re living on prayers.”
Al-Ansari highlighted the difficulties Palestinians face in getting visas, including the high cost and uncertainty of approval. “They don’t really have anything to prove they’re going to go back,” she said.
Immigration figures show a disparity in visa approvals between Israelis and Palestinians. While almost 500 Israeli visa applications were received since October, only 97 were submitted by Palestinians. While the number of rejected applications was similar, this represented a significantly higher percentage of Palestinian applications.
Justice for Palestine co-convenor Samira Zaiton criticized the government’s decision, arguing that the lack of a dedicated visa category for Palestinians creates an unfair barrier to entry. She pointed to the “dehumanization of Palestinians” as a key factor contributing to their hardship.
Stanford stated that the government is prioritizing the processing of visitor visa applications from Palestinians, but maintains that a new visa category would require Cabinet approval. “All decisions of this nature are context dependent,” she said.
The ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza continues to pose a challenge for the New Zealand government as it weighs the potential benefits of providing a safe haven for Palestinians against the complexities of immigration policy.