New step in The Mixing Room

New step in The Mixing Room

Today we unveil a new glass step in The Mixing Room timeline, acknowledging the first major arrival of Syrian refugees to New Zealand as a result of the crisis which began five years ago.

The timeline in The Mixing Room exhibition. Photo by Kate Whitley (Te Papa, MA_I.302077).
The timeline in The Mixing Room exhibition. Photo by Kate Whitley (Te Papa, MA_I.302077).

Te Papa has worked with the New Zealand Red Cross to make this step possible, and the exhibition now features direct links to the Red Cross website where visitors can find out more about how New Zealand settles refugees, such as the Hassan family who fled Syria and now live in Wellington.

Nazeh Diab and Mirvat Hassan and their three children (left to right: Jinan, Ahmed and Maria) fled Syria in 2012. After spending two and a half years in Thailand, the family was accepted by New Zealand under the refugee quota. Photograph courtesy of New Zealand Red Cross.
Nazeh Diab and Mirvat Hassan and their three children (left to right: Jinan, Ahmed and Maria) fled Syria in 2012. After spending two and a half years in Thailand, the family was accepted by New Zealand under the refugee quota. Photograph courtesy of New Zealand Red Cross.

The plight of refugees throughout the world is a significant topic of public debate, including whether New Zealand should increase its quota. Since 1987, New Zealand’s quota has remained at 750 refugees a year – it’s up for review by the government this year. A call for ‘Double the Quota’ can be seen in city streets at the moment.

Double the quota poster outside Te Papa, April 2016

Many refugees come to New Zealand as young people, and our exhibition tells their stories in their words. Visit The Mixing Room: Stories from young refugees in New Zealand on level 4 of Te Papa. Free entry.

 

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