Thread by @hollyrwalker

Today @HelenClarkFound and @WspNZ have released #NauMaiWelcomeHome, a report about Aotearoa New Zealand’s diaspora and how we can strengthen our connections with them and welcome them home. Here are some of our key findings and recommendations: 🧵1/14

There are up to a million NZers living overseas with valuable skills, experiences, and expertise to share, either by moving home, or by staying overseas but keeping more closely connected to home. We have the 3rd-largest diaspora in the OECD, after Ireland and Luxembourg. 2/14

There is also a significant Māori diaspora, with as many as 1 in 6 of all Māori in Australia alone. This raises important questions about Te Tiriti and citizenship for overseas-born Māori which we explore (but don’t resolve) in the report. 3/14

For at least 20 years, we’ve had a net loss of NZ citizens every year. Now though, this has started to reverse. In 2020-21, we had a net gain of NZ citizens for the first time in decades. #Covid19 has given us an opportunity to rewrite the story of our diaspora. 4/14

(It’s important to note that the reversal has not (yet) been the result of a large influx of NZers returning home during the pandemic. Some have, but the numbers of NZ citizens both arriving and leaving have been way down. See @StatsNZ’s international migration figures.) 5/14

However, this net gain, while small, could signal the start of a new trend, with many more offshore NZers considering moving home for good. According to survey data from @keanewzealand, 31% of offshore NZers are planning to return, half in the next 1-2 years. 6/14

This presents a significant opportunity for Aotearoa New Zealand. The members of our diaspora tend on average to be highly-educated and skilled, with the potential to make a big economic, social, and cultural contribution to our nation, both from afar, and if they come home. 7/14

Unfortunately, we’re not always great at welcoming people home, as highlighted by @TheSpinoffTV's Coming Home podcast last year. We feature a Q&A with Lamia Imam (@LI_politico) about some of the highs and lows of her return to NZ from the US in 2020. 8/14 thespinoff.co.nz/podcast-series…

It’s hard to predict post-pandemic trends, but we have a thought-provoking Q&A from Distinguished Professor @PSpoonley about how NZ's demographics are changing. We’ve been growing, diversifying, ageing, and urbanising. Auckland in particular is set to see huge growth. 9/14

NZers coming home will have high expectations about the cities and towns they live in, yet we haven’t invested in the urban infrastructure we need. We explore ideas to address this, including the 20-minute movement, which we has huge potential in NZ. 10/14 thespinoff.co.nz/partner/wsp/05…

We make three overarching recommendations: 1) Understand and tap into the potential of the offshore diaspora, by adopting a strategy to strengthen their connections to NZ. For a model, we should look to Ireland, who have a world-leading diaspora strategy. 11/14

2) Roll out the welcome mat to those who wish to return, by making it as easy as possible to come home, and by greeting those who return with open arms (not tall poppy syndrome!). 12/14

3) Develop world-class cities and towns where people want to live, by investing in better infrastructure, improving public and active transport, and ensuring there is affordable, accessible housing for everyone. 13/14

Huge thanks to our partners at @WspNZ and to @LI_politico, @PSpoonley, @keanewzealand, @msleeinthetrees @IrelandinNZ @emmavitz and all who assisted with this report. You can download it (including in accessible and easy-read formats) here. 14/14 helenclark.foundation/our-impact/