The Dunedin City Council voted to add $80,000 per year for the next three years to the planning and community budget to support community development for new migrants and refugees, during deliberations on the 10-year plan yesterday.
Dunedin refugee advocates Afife Harris and Malcolm McQueen had requested extra money for the council's community and planning budget to support the city's refugee support programme.
Of particular concern was a lack of Arabic interpreters.
The resolution was moved by Cr Marie Laufiso who said the money was needed not just for interpreters, but also to assist the people and organisation supporting those new arrivals.
''I understand there may be some people who say look after our own people first but if I could I would support a 10% rates increase so we could support all our vulnerable people.''
Councillors had earlier voted against a motion by Cr Lee Vandervis of a one-off council contribution of $50,000 to be used for a trial of interpreter services for Syrian refugees in Dunedin.
Cr Vandervis said the main barrier to a greater quality of life for many of the refugees was not being able to speak and understand English.
''We have very well-educated engineering and medical people who are not able to contribute to society and not complete their lives because they can't speak the language.''
Cr Vandervis voted against Cr Laufiso's motion because it was not specific enough and he worried the money would not be spent on interpreters, which is where it was needed.
Council community development manager Joy Gunn told councillors about 180 refugees from Syria and Palestine were expected to be resettled in the city each year for the next two or three years.
Immigration New Zealand was considering expanding its refugee resettlement programme to more cities and towns which would likely reduce the number being resettled in Dunedin, she said.
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The best way to learn the language in a new country is total immersion. Give these people a job - any job initially - where people are friendly and tolerant but insist that only English is spoken at work. After a year they will know enough to start looking for further work if that is what is required. We speak from practical experience as immigrants from a European country. And don't forget the women. You can't learn the language staying at home. My mother was desperately lonely in a new country where she couldn't even read the newspaper or understand the radio. That is, until 5 years after arrival, when the children were old enough, when she (and my father) were persuaded that she needed to get out of the house and start working. The children have it easy. They will pick it up at school and be fluent within a year. And by the way, this is not giving up on your own culture. This is adapting to the new reality that you are now a resident in a new country. Embrace all opportunities. Your life will be so much richer and fulfilled for it.