| Total population | |
|---|---|
| Afghan New Zealanders 5,250 Afghan-born (2018) [1] | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| Auckland, Christchurch, Hamilton, Wellington, Palmerston North | |
| Languages | |
| Pashto, Persian (Dari and Hazaragi dialect), New Zealand English | |
| Religion | |
| Predominantly: Islam (Sunni majority and Shia minority) | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Afghan diaspora, Pashtuns, Tajiks, Uzbeks, Hazara |
Afghan New Zealanders are New Zealanders whose ancestors came from Afghanistan or who were born in Afghanistan. The New Zealand government categorises Afghanistan as Central Asian. [2]
Afghan migration to New Zealand started in the late 1980s. [3]
131 Afghans came to New Zealand as refugees on the MV Tampa during the Tampa affair in 2001. [4]
Following the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan in late August 2021, the New Zealand Government offered 1,253 visas to Afghans. [5] The New Zealand Defence Force participated in international efforts to evacuate Afghans who had worked for Western military forces. [6] [7] By early October 2021, only 428 had arrived in New Zealand. In response, the New Zealand Government dispatched a special envoy to the Middle East to help 825 stranded Afghan visa holders to leave Afghanistan. [5]