UNHCR Help
Country-by-country information for refugees and asylum seekers.
For newcomers building a life in a new country. Talk with people in New Zealand who know what it is like, find help near you, and join the worldwide circle too. Free, always.
Next gathering in the New Zealand circle: Weekly check-in ·
Country-by-country information for refugees and asylum seekers.
“I was in the same place eighteen months ago. I remember my degree not recognised like it was yesterday. My kids say I'm back. The bad days get further apart. Hang on.”
“You will rehearse conversations that other people do not think twice about. That is okay. You will hear your accent in recordings and cringe. That is okay too. The thing I wish I had known is that the fear gets smaller not because you 'get over it' but because you do the thing anyway, over and over, until your body stops expecting the worst. Find one person who gets it. For me it was Mason. And go dancing. Your body remembers how to be happy even when your head is busy worrying.”
“I was in the same place this time last year. I remember my degree not recognised like it was yesterday. This week I went back to my evening class.”
“Cuando llegas a un país nuevo, todo es extraño. El idioma, las costumbres, la comida. Te sientes perdido. Yo también. Pero poco a poco, vas encontrando tu sitio. No te compares con los demás. Cada uno tiene su ritmo. Busca ayuda. Habla con gente que haya pasado por lo mismo. Y no te olvides de tu idioma, de tus raíces. Eso te mantendrá entero.”