About Us
Co-Creating Opportunities
Working with refugee and migrant background communities
and host communities to build hope and inclusion.
HOST International Aotearoa New Zealand (HOST), registered as HOST International NZ Ltd, is a New Zealand charity that is part of the HOST International family. HOST NZ was established in 2018 to support the effective integration of migrants and former refugees in New Zealand and to promote manaakitanga towards newcomers.
As an experienced refugee and migration support NGO, HOST International brings significant expertise in migration management, community integration, former refugee and migrant employment coaching and refugee settlement across the Asia Pacific with specific experience delivering these services in Australia, New Zealand, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand.
In February 2024, HOST International in Australia and Indonesia ceased their operations. The teams in Aotearoa New Zealand, Malaysia and Thailand continue to work closely together for better (re-)settlement experiences of refugees and migrants.
In Aotearoa, New Zealand, we actively work with organisations, government, sector partners, ethnic communities and individuals to identify and improve the settlement experience and to break down the barriers that may exist. We have a special focus on building capability for former refugee and migrant employment and working with partners to promote full inclusion.
Our Vision
Our vision is for an inclusive world where people on the move and host communities work together to create better lives for all. We believe that this is best achieved by fostering a common sense of humanity, dignity, and shared hope in a better future.
Our Global Context
The 2018 UN Global Compact on Refugees acknowledges the importance of involving both the host country and the refugee community in finding settlement solutions.
The UN Global Compact on Refugees highlights the importance of including refugees in host communities from the outset. This approach enables refugees to access education and labour markets, develop their skills, and become self-sufficient, which in turn contributes to the growth of local economies and the development of their host communities.
HOST shares this vision and aligns its work with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as a global framework for a better and more sustainable future for all.
In addition, we support the Third Country Solutions for Refugees: Roadmap 2030 through our advocacy efforts and participation in various initiatives such as the Community Refugee Sponsorship programme in Aotearoa New Zealand, the Global Refugee Sponsorship community, and the Consultations on Resettlement and Complementary Pathways (CRCP) Working Group.
Our Mission
Our kaupapa/purpose is to make life better for refugees, displaced people and the communities that host them by fostering humanity, hope and dignity.
Our mission is to improve the well-being of refugees and displaced people on their journey towards something better by creating a future where communities, governments and businesses all work together to find sustainable solutions to human displacement.
We do this by facilitating individual wellbeing, community inclusion and global change with a focus on innovation in refugee and migrant protection.
Our work is aimed at providing support services that improve the livelihoods of former refugees, asylum seekers and migrants in Aotearoa New Zealand.
Since 2018, we have provided strengths-based and trauma-informed services to former refugees and migrants to assist them on their employment journey focusing on finding meaningful, sustainable work and on career development.
We work with businesses and employers on breaking down barriers to employment and ensuring culturally safe practices and communication.
Since 2021, HOST has been the umbrella organisation for the extended pilot of the Community Refugee Sponsorship (CORS) programme.
The Community Refugee Sponsorship programme model is based on a partnership approach between Immigration New Zealand, the umbrella organisation, wider communities, and mana whenua.
HOST assists community organisations in becoming approved sponsors and provides approved sponsors with coaching, information, learning and reflection opportunities in preparation for the arrival of sponsored refugees and during the first two years of settlement.
HOST seeks to promote innovation and integrity in all aspects of our work whilst promoting diversity, inclusion and cooperation among the people, businesses/employers, and communities that we work with.
The team also draws on the experiences and expertise of its HOST colleagues in Malaysia and Thailand on the protection of refugee children and unaccompanied minors.
Our approach is human-centred, based on models of co-design and partnership and committed to the individual’s right to rangatiratanga self-agency.
HOST NZ is committed to Te Tiriti o Waitangi and its principles of partnership, participation, and protection.
Overall, our work is underpinned by our core values of innovation, compassion, diversity, integrity, and respect as well as our principles of humanity, hope and dignity.