Dunedin has been picked as the new settlement location for refugees flocking to New Zealand shores. A Government assessment - carried out by the New Zealand Refugee Resettlement Strategy Senior Officials' Group - chose the South Island city as a new settlement location based on its employment, housing, local community, and support services. An extra settlement location was needed following the Government's decision to allow 750 Syrian refugees in New Zealand before the end of 2018 in response to the ongoing conflict in Syria, Immigration New Zealand general manager Steve McGill said. There are currently five spots in New Zealand where refugees are settled after a six-week reception programme: Auckland, Waikato, Manawatu, Wellington, and Nelson. Dunedin was considered alongside New Plymouth, Hastings and Napier, Invercargill, and Tauranga. "Dunedin has a strong set of services and is a well-connected city where a number of government agencies have a presence," Mr McGill said. Let's just hope the new arrivals can stand bagpipes.
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