Raji Mohammad doesn’t hesitate when asked about the qualities that make a community welcoming.

“For me, it’s the people,” the 19-year-old replies.

“People make a place welcoming. They make you want to call a place home.”

Raji moved to Hamilton from Jordan in 2023 and came into contact with the Settlement Centre Waikato. Through the centre, he found a place to live, got budgeting advice, completed a water safety course and enrolled in a barber school.

Today, his focus is on giving back.

“I want to help people new to Hamilton. I want them to feel this is home.”

The Settlement Centre Waikato – which completed a major redevelopment last year - is among a host of groups and city-wide initiatives aimed at supporting and helping newcomers thrive in Hamilton.

Hamilton City Council was recently recognised as an Established Welcoming Community under Immigration New Zealand’s Welcoming Communities Te Waharoa ki ngaa Hapori programme.

The programme aims to help recent migrants, former refugees, international students and anyone new to a community feel more supported.

Councillor Kesh Naidoo-Rauf, who chairs the Community and Natural Environment Committee, said making newcomers feel welcome in Hamilton benefits everyone.

“A welcoming community is a stronger community. Hamilton Kirikiriroa has almost 170 different ethnicities with recent statistics showing more than a quarter of the city’s population was born overseas. Our diversity makes Hamilton a vibrant and attractive place to live and it’s vital new residents are made to feel supported, safe and included in our city,” Councillor Naidoo-Rauf said.

“Work to support newcomers is happening across Hamilton thanks to the great work of our community partners and Council’s partnership with Te Haa o te Whenua o Kirikiriroa (THaWK). It’s fantastic these efforts have been recognised.”

Council was accepted into the Welcoming Communities programme in 2021, with participating councils working through four stages of accreditation. Hamilton joins six other councils who have achieved the second stage of accreditation.

“We have many diverse communities in Hamilton and we want them all to thrive. Becoming a recognised Established Welcoming Community is a milestone we should all be proud of. And by being part of the Welcoming Communities programme, we can tap into the experiences and resources of other communities,” Councillor Naidoo-Rauf said.

A focus of Council’s Community and Social Development team this year will be to work with community partners to review the city’s Welcoming Plan. The plan serves as a commitment to making sure Hamilton is open, accepting and embraces cultural diversity.

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