Challenges Faced by Colombian Refugees in New Zealand

This ethnographic research explores Colombian refugees' challenges in their integration into New Zealand. Colombian refugees began their resettlement in New Zealand in 2007 referred by the UNHCR and accepted by the government of New Zealand. The lack of academic research focused solely on Colombian refugees in New Zealand was the primary motivation to carry out this study. This research explores the challenges that affect the successful integration of Colombian refugees in New Zealand. It was driven by a pragmatic question of what can be done to improve their integration in New Zealand. The qualitative methodological approach of this study was ethnography and oral stories. Ethnography and oral history research methodology were the most effective way of documenting the experiences of Colombian refugees in New Zealand because they permitted me to collect and present the stories of the participants in chronological order. Additional data collection methods included focus groups and participants' diaries. This study collected the resettlement stories of 13 former Colombian refugees resettled in New Zealand.