Digital Connection Programme Strengthens Settlement Support for Former Refugees

Summary

A cross-sector New Zealand programme is giving newly arrived former refugees digital devices and one year of free internet access. The support helps families communicate, access essential services and navigate early settlement. The initiative underscores the growing importance of digital inclusion in migrant and refugee settlement delivery.

Our Analysis

• We see digital access becoming a core settlement service, not merely an optional welfare add-on.
• In our experience, online connectivity directly affects migrants’ ability to access housing, healthcare and employment.
• Partnerships like Awhi Matihiko can strengthen early-arrival support without duplicating established settlement networks.

Full Story

A New Zealand partnership is providing newly arrived former refugees with internet access, digital devices and practical support to help them settle into life in the country.

The Awhi Matihiko programme, delivered through a collaboration between InternetNZ, the Digital Inclusion Alliance Aotearoa, New Zealand Red Cross and the Spark Foundation, connects refugee families soon after their arrival. Participants receive a digital device and one year of free internet access, helping them communicate with relatives overseas and navigate essential services in New Zealand.

The programme is being delivered while families are completing their initial resettlement at Te Āhuru Mōwai o Aotearoa, New Zealand’s refugee resettlement centre. Regional Red Cross staff then assist with the digital set-up as families move into communities around the country.

For settlement-service providers, the initiative addresses a practical barrier that can affect access to housing, education, healthcare, employment and government services. Digital connectivity also enables former refugees to maintain family relationships and participate more fully in community life during the early stages of resettlement.

InternetNZ said digital inclusion is now an essential part of living in New Zealand, requiring not only access to technology but also the skills, confidence and trust to use it effectively. The programme therefore complements wider settlement support, including orientation, community navigation and assistance with establishing households.

The development highlights the growing role of digital capability in migrant and refugee settlement services. As more public, employment and education services move online, access to a reliable connection and suitable device is increasingly becoming a basic settlement requirement rather than an optional form of assistance.

For immigration-service businesses and community organisations, the programme demonstrates how cross-sector partnerships can provide targeted support immediately after arrival and help reduce digital exclusion among vulnerable newcomers.