Latest news with #AucklandUniversity
Scoop
5 hours ago
- Politics
- Scoop
A Never-Ending Visa Queue For Refugees
It could take 10 years to clear a refugee visa waiting queue - but those applicants have already been waiting for seven years, and some have families in danger. When Dawt Tha Thang arrived in New Zealand in 2010, she was with her husband and five of her children. Within weeks, she gave birth to her youngest. But her eldest daughter stayed behind in Myanmar. She had just married and was pregnant. The Thangs are Christian Chins and as a minority, have faced persecution - it is how they became refugees - but over the past several years things have become even more dangerous in Myanmar. First, in 2021 there was a military coup and the country descended into civil war. Then, this March, there was an earthquake that killed thousands. "Myanmar as a whole is a pretty awful situation, with the civil war and the earthquake and forced conscription, but this is a family that ... also comes from a persecuted minority. They have been shaken down in [the capital city] Yangon, ie the army comes round and demands money or they will be sent to jail. They're moving every second or third night to stay away from the army," says Caroline Forsyth, who is friends with the family and speaks on their behalf to The Detail. Under the Refugee Family Support Category (RFSC), the Thangs can apply to bring their daughter, son-in-law and grandchildren here to join them. And the last time applications opened, they did. That was in 2017. They have been closed since then. Right now, the queue is 4190 people long, with only a few applicants coming off that list every year. But the scale of the problem is much bigger, because it does not represent all the people who have not even had a chance to apply. In today's episode of The Detail, Jay Marlowe - professor of social work at Auckland University and co-author with the Red Cross of a report on the RFSC - explains how the category works - and does not. "It's not our position that the RFSC is not working or is absolutely broken... for me fundamentally it's about ensuring that we protect what exists but also to recognise that it is under need of reform," he says. "It's not irreparably broken, but it does need reform." Under the RFSC there are two tiers. Tier One is for people who have come here as refugees who have no other adult family in the country, and Tier Two is for people who do have adult family - like the Thangs, who are a married couple and now have adult children - but have other adult family who they would like to reunite with as well. Tier One is prioritised, because people applying in that category do not have any support here. That category remains open for applications, but Tier Two has only opened for applications twice. The first time was in 2012, and the second was in 2017. Both times, it was only for a few days, and Forsyth and Marlowe say the system was inundated with applications. There are only 600 places a year open for the RFSC, and because Tier One is always open and those applications are prioritised, very few Tier Two applicants get through. This leaves people like the Thangs in a holding pattern, unsure of when - if ever - they will be able to reunite with their families. In their case, their daughter, son-in-law and grandchildren are hungry, they have lost family members to military violence, and the children can not go to school. They have attempted to escape to Thailand, where they'd be able to register as refugees, but haven't been able to. Last month, Labour MP Phil Twyford asked Associate Immigration Minister Casey Costello and General Manager, Refugee and Migrant Service Fiona Whiteridge, for an update on progress. Whiteridge said that "in order to clear that tier two queue, and it obviously is all dependent on how many more people applying to tier one, it would take us between eight to 10 years". Marlowe says there is clear research that reuniting people with their families has a broad range of benefits and the government should think about this category not just in terms of what it costs, but also what it might save in the long term. "Not only does it make sense to reunite families ... but it might even make dollars and cents. "Family reunification is often one of the most important, if not the most important, topic that people want to address." Check out how to listen to and follow The Detail here.
Newsroom
17 hours ago
- General
- Newsroom
Broken visa process leaves broken families
When Dawt Tha Thang arrived in New Zealand in 2010, she was with her husband and five of her children. Within weeks, she gave birth to her youngest. But her eldest daughter stayed behind, in Myanmar. She'd just married and was pregnant. The Thangs are Christian Chins and as a minority, have faced persecution – it's how they became refugees – but over the past several years things have become even more dangerous in Myanmar. First, in 2021 there was a military coup and the country descended into civil war. Then, this March, there was an earthquake that killed thousands. 'Myanmar as a whole is a pretty awful situation, with the civil war and the earthquake and forced conscription, but this is a family that … also comes from a persecuted minority. They have been shaken down in [the capital city] Yangon, i.e. the army comes round and demands money or they will be sent to jail. They're moving every second or third night to stay away from the army,' says Caroline Forsyth, who is friends with the family and speaks on their behalf to The Detail. Under the Refugee Family Support Category (RFSC), the Thangs can apply to bring their daughter, son-in-law and grandchildren here to join them. And the last time applications opened, they did. That was in 2017. They've been closed since then. Right now, the queue is 4190 people long, with only a few applicants coming off that list every year. But the scale of the problem is much bigger, because it doesn't represent all the people who haven't even had a chance to apply. In today's episode of The Detail, Jay Marlowe, who is a professor of social work at Auckland University and co-author with the Red Cross of a report on the RFSC, explains how the category works – and doesn't. 'It's not our position that the RFSC is not working or is absolutely broken … for me fundamentally it's about ensuring that we protect what exists but also to recognise that it is under need of reform,' he says. 'It's not irreparably broken, but it does need reform.' Under the RFSC there are two tiers. Tier one is for people who have come here as refugees who have no other adult family in the country, and tier two is for people who do have adult family – like the Thangs, who are a married couple and now have adult children – but have other adult family who they'd like to reunite with as well. Tier one is prioritised, because people applying in that category don't have any support here. That category remains open for applications, but tier two has only opened for applications twice. The first time was in 2012, and the second was in 2017. Both times, it was only for a few days, and Forsyth and Marlowe say the system was inundated with applications. There are only 600 places a year open for the RFSC, and because tier one is always open and those applications are prioritised, very few tier two applicants get through. This leaves people like the Thangs in a holding pattern, unsure of when, if ever, they will be able to reunite with their families. In their case, their daughter, son-in-law and grandchildren are hungry, they have lost family members to military violence, and the children can't go to school. They've attempted to escape to Thailand, where they should be able to register as refugees, but haven't been able to. Last month, Labour MP Phil Twyford asked Associate Immigration Minister Casey Costello and MBIE general manager, refugee and migrant service Fiona Whiteridge, for an update on progress. Whiteridge said that 'in order to clear that tier two queue, and it obviously is all dependent on how many more people applying to tier one, it would take us between eight to 10 years.' Marlowe says there is clear research that reuniting people with their families has a broad range of benefits and the Government should think about this category not just in terms of what it costs, but also what it might save in the long term. 'Not only does it make sense to reunite families … but it might even make dollars and cents. 'Family reunification is often one of the most important, if not the most important, topic that people want to address.' Check out how to listen to and follow The Detail here. You can also stay up-to-date by liking us on Facebook or following us on Twitter.
Sydney Morning Herald
5 days ago
- General
- Sydney Morning Herald
There was plenty of scope for things to go wrong for this home reno
When a Sydney-based architect took on a Melbourne couple's home reno, there was plenty of scope for things to go wrong. Surprisingly, given the variety and choice of architects in Melbourne, the owners' search ended beyond Victoria's border. Complicating things further was the client's architecture background. Would they be tempted to change, interfere and make the process more challenging? Luckily for Sydney's Pohio Adams Architects, the clients – a couple with two children – were open to pushing the envelope as much as running with ideas. And what started out as a tired old Edwardian house in St Kilda is now a light-filled family contemporary home that also creates touchstones to the past. The client, who only worked as an architect for a relatively short period, had been in the same year in the school of architecture at Auckland University as Bianca Pohio, a director of the practice. 'There were few constraints when it came to the design. Our client regularly travels the world looking at great architecture, including by architects Mies van der Rohe and Le Corbusier,' says Pohio, who worked closely with her life and business partner, architect Chris Adams. 'I've known this client for 30 years, so there's also that element of trust,' she adds. Loading Located in a leafy heritage streetscape, the Edwardian house set on a 475-square-metre site, was always going to be retained. However, the house – renovated over intervening years with a number of Arts & Crafts and Art Deco elements – 'fell away' at the back with a poorly added lean-to. 'We were also faced with a three-level apartment block to the rear of the property which meant that we had to address issues such as overlooking,' says Adams. Pohio Adams Architects retained the front four rooms of the period home but reworked them into two separate bedrooms for the children and a large main bedroom and an en suite – with the remainder of the space used as a separate bathroom. Beyond this more traditional arrangement with open fireplaces and decorative plaster ceilings, the house starts to express new forms and materials.
The Age
5 days ago
- General
- The Age
There was plenty of scope for things to go wrong for this home reno
When a Sydney-based architect took on a Melbourne couple's home reno, there was plenty of scope for things to go wrong. Surprisingly, given the variety and choice of architects in Melbourne, the owners' search ended beyond Victoria's border. Complicating things further was the client's architecture background. Would they be tempted to change, interfere and make the process more challenging? Luckily for Sydney's Pohio Adams Architects, the clients – a couple with two children – were open to pushing the envelope as much as running with ideas. And what started out as a tired old Edwardian house in St Kilda is now a light-filled family contemporary home that also creates touchstones to the past. The client, who only worked as an architect for a relatively short period, had been in the same year in the school of architecture at Auckland University as Bianca Pohio, a director of the practice. 'There were few constraints when it came to the design. Our client regularly travels the world looking at great architecture, including by architects Mies van der Rohe and Le Corbusier,' says Pohio, who worked closely with her life and business partner, architect Chris Adams. 'I've known this client for 30 years, so there's also that element of trust,' she adds. Loading Located in a leafy heritage streetscape, the Edwardian house set on a 475-square-metre site, was always going to be retained. However, the house – renovated over intervening years with a number of Arts & Crafts and Art Deco elements – 'fell away' at the back with a poorly added lean-to. 'We were also faced with a three-level apartment block to the rear of the property which meant that we had to address issues such as overlooking,' says Adams. Pohio Adams Architects retained the front four rooms of the period home but reworked them into two separate bedrooms for the children and a large main bedroom and an en suite – with the remainder of the space used as a separate bathroom. Beyond this more traditional arrangement with open fireplaces and decorative plaster ceilings, the house starts to express new forms and materials.
Otago Daily Times
09-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Otago Daily Times
Images that say more
A selection of late photographer Marti Friedlander's rural South Island photographs which have never been seen in the South are on exhibit at Starkwhite in Queenstown. Rebecca Fox talks to art historian Dr Leonard Bell about their significance. As a city person, photographer Marti Friedlander was endlessly curious about rural life. The renowned New Zealand documentary photographer, who died in 2016, aged 88, came from London to Auckland in 1958 after marrying a Kiwi, Gerrard Friedlander, and while urban environments were her norm, she enjoyed travelling through rural areas. Art historian Dr Leonard Bell, an expert on Friedlander's work, says she was struck and impressed by the down-to-earth manners, quiet strength and resilience of farming people in New Zealand. A selection of original silver gelatin photographs of rural South Island images are being shown for the first time at Starkwhite in Queenstown, including one of her "famous" photographs of sheep being driven down a road in the Eglinton Valley early one morning in a cloud of dust. "Sheep looking back very intensely and quite beautiful really. I think as I put it, 'sentient animals'. That's a photograph that has generated so many responses over the decades." The Friedlanders often holidayed in the South Island — the Eglinton shot was taken on a holiday to Milford Sound — and she was fascinated by how different New Zealand was from where she had come from. Another photograph shows a man in a public bar on Stewart Island. Back then public bars, especially in rural areas, were "no go" spaces for women. "Going into a pub, such as in the Stewart Island, was probably something she couldn't resist, to 'break the rules'." Bell, a retired Auckland University art history associate professor, says the resulting photo suggests a lot about how problematic and maybe dysfunctional such male-only places were in New Zealand society then. "It is a powerful image of isolation/loneliness in a crowd and of potentially explosive tension in a person. To me it's one of the most extraordinary photographs she made over the years in the sense that obviously immediately it's of a single man, but it could almost stand as a sort of metaphor for the unspoken, and they certainly existed, tensions more broadly, in New Zealand society at the time." But that is not what Friedlander would have been thinking when she took the photo as she would have been focused on the immediate situation, he says. "But she sort of worked often quite intuitively, very astute psychologically. So she picked up on qualities like that very, very quickly. "So she could almost see the image that she was producing before she took the photograph." As the author of a biography, Marti Friedlander (2009), and Portraits of Artists (2020), a book of 250 of Friedlander's images of New Zealand artists, Bell has a unique insight into the photographer's work. He knew of Friedlander's work as far back as the mid-'60s and went to the first public exhibition of her photographs in 1966 at a cafe in Auckland, a well-known artistic venue of the time. But it was not until the mid-1970s that Bell met Friedlander, who was made a CNZM in 1998 and received an Icon Award from the Arts Foundation in 2011, in person. He was teaching art history at Auckland University and Friedlander enrolled in a few papers. "So that's when we first got to know one another. And we sort of had a good rapport and we became friends." In the 1990s their friendship became closer, especially as Bell began to research her work and write various articles, chapters, essays and then the books on her work. "One thing led to another. She wanted me to be her — I think the legal term is literary executor. In other words, to look after her photographs and documents and be responsible for them, effectively. Or how they're made use of after her death." He recounts being at her home to talk about her work and being asked to check under the bed in the upstairs bedroom to find a photograph. "So I'd haul out a box and there'd be photographs I'd never seen before. The day before she died, Sylvia, my partner, and I were around seeing her, and precisely that happened. She asked me to get a box, which I never knew existed, and then there it was. It's photographs I'd never seen before. "So it was a creative chaos." The bulk of Friedlander's photographs are on loan in perpetuity to the Auckland Art Gallery and thousands are already available to look at online with more being digitised. The trust that oversees the works employs an assistant to do that work and check the information with photographs is correct. "It's a fantastic resource." One of the biggest challenges as executor, he says, is protecting the photographs from piracy as there have been a number of instances in recent years of people trying to pirate the works and pass them off through online auctions. "That's one thing I have to keep an eye on." Through his friendship and research he was able to paint a picture of the photographer, who went to art school for a year to study photography before getting a job as a technical assistant in photography studios. "She had a long apprenticeship, if you like, working for highly renowned photographers in Britain for almost 15 years. Working in their studios, printing, touching up . . ." This experience gave her "extraordinary" technical skills. "She was very knowledgeable about photography and art, generally." Bell is wary about presenting a picture of the perfect person. "She was far from it. She was very witty and very critical of her own work. So she set herself very high standards." But he considers what makes a great photographer is the working of the "eye, the mind and the hand in combination", which needs both training and innate ability. "She had, to me, extraordinary ability to make an image which was striking itself and also sort of embodied more, a sort of intuitive sense of photographs. "She picked up on what might just be sort of subliminal qualities very quickly. So she was very perceptive, both visually and psychologically. "And that comes through in the photographs. Sharp perceptions of people and events or situations. That's how I see it anyway." Friedlander's photographs continue to resonate with people of all ages. Some of her photographs are included in the school curriculum and are often requested for use in other productions. The trust also provides grants to low-decile schools to enable them to buy photography equipment for their classes. "So they have a lively life, or a continuing life, which is good." Part of the life are exhibitions of the original silver gelatin photographs such as Starkwhite's "Southern Rural" exhibition in Queenstown, which features photographs such as Scratching Fence showing the tufts of wool on a farm fence, Smoko , of two sheep shearers in 1969, Farmers (c.1970) of two farmers in a riverbed and one of fantail taken c.1970. "It [the fantail] is quite an unusual photograph, quite beautiful really." It is a smaller selection extending out from last year's retrospective "Starting Point of a Complicated Story" shown last year in Queenstown and Auckland. In response to that exhibition, 100 prints of Eglinton Valley (1970) have been released for sale alongside this exhibition. TO SEE Marti Friedlander, "Southern Rural", Starkwhite, Queenstown, until mid-July.
