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Calls to think about refugees at rugby

Author
Newstalk ZB staff ,
Publish Date
Sat, 11 Jun 2016, 3:23PM
(Supplied, David Tong)
(Supplied, David Tong)

Calls to think about refugees at rugby

Author
Newstalk ZB staff ,
Publish Date
Sat, 11 Jun 2016, 3:23PM

Updated 8pm: Rugby fans saw an unusual sight this evening before the All Blacks match at Eden Park in Auckland, as a lobby group that wants more refugees to be allowed into the country is took its campaign to the skies.

Lobby group ActionStation crowdfunded a skyplane to fly over the stadium with a banner that says, 'It's time to double the refugee quota'.

Campaign director Laura O'Connell Rapira said 4.5 million refugees have fled Syria into neighbouring countries in the past four years, which is nearly the population of New Zealand.

Ms Rapira said New Zealand's refugee settlement quota was set at 800 places in 1987 and hasn't increased in 28 years, and today it's even lower at 750 places.

She said it's long past time for New Zealand to do our small part to respond to what has been dubbed the worst humanitarian crisis of our time.

The group is offsetting the carbon emitted from the flight by supporting the Rarakau Rainforest Conservation Project in Southland.

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