Remembering the Dawn Raids
Kia kaha, together we stand Aotearoa is built on the land of Tangata Whenua, and people from all over the world have since made this place home. That shared foundation matters, especially when we look back at moments in our history where that sense of belonging was tested. In the 1970s, Aotearoa lived through a sad chapter known as the Dawn Raids. Between 1974 and 1976, immigration policies led to targeted raids on the homes of Pacific families, often carried out early in the morning or late at night with harsh verbal and physical treatment. Whole communities felt targeted and terrorised, even though Pacific peoples made up only around a third of overstayers at the time, yet accounted for 86% of prosecutions. In 2021, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern offered a formal and unreserved apology on behalf of the Government for the discriminatory implementation of immigration laws that led to the Dawn Raids, acknowledging the harm caused to Pacific communities. Today, we're seeing echoes of that same division: rhetoric from parts of government and some religious groups that paints migrants as a burden rather than a part of who we are. This kind of language makes people feel unwelcome in the place they call home — for many, the only home they've ever known, having been born and raised right here in Aotearoa. Aotearoa's history teaches us what happens when fear and suspicion are allowed to target a community, and it reminds us that how we treat one another shapes the country we build together. Whether you're Tangata Whenua, Tangata Tiriti who've been here for generations, or you've just arrived, we all make up Aotearoa today. Our neighbours, our friends, our co-workers, the people who show up to volunteer, teach and celebrate alongside us, they come from every kind of background and journey. We invite everyone to stand, together, for a country where everyone feels like they belong. More information can be found at https://www.mpp.govt.nz/programmes-and-funding/dawn-raids/