A refugee worker says Christchurch's mental health scene could be delaying the return of refugees to the city.

The city hasn't received a quota of refugees since the earthquakes - seven years ago.

Christchurch Resettlement Services general manager, Shirley Wright says they have to be able to provide wrap-around services for refugees.

She says pressure on our current mental health support system may be Immigration New Zealand's sticking point on opening up refugee quotas again.

"People are still struggling with the impacts of the earthquakes and the uncertainty and the disruption in the city., A lot of our work has been supporting people around those impacts."

However, Wright says they have got a strong sector of services ready to help refugees settle in.

"That's important that people have access to what they need and mental health is a big part of the refugee experienced."