‘Desperate and pleading for action’: New Zealand under pressure to help Ukraine refugees

Unlike other western nations, NZ has so far refused to change its visa rules in response to the crisis

A group of desperate" New Zealanders with Ukrainian friends and family have called on the government in Wellington to allow visa-free travel for people from Ukraine, as other western countries loosen their entry rules to allow in more of those fleeing the Russian invasion.

New Zealand's government has so far resisted calls to change its refugee system in response to the crisis, which the UN says has caused more than 1.3 million Ukrainians to leave their country.