Settlement of Pacific Migrants

Pacific people have a long history of settlement in New Zealand, with several waves of migration from various parts of the Pacific throughout the last 150 years. Pacific people in New Zealand are now a diverse group with ancestral links to many parts of the Pacific. New Zealand’s special relationship with the Pacific led to the establishment of special immigration policies, such as the Samoan Quota and Pacific Access Category, with some of the Pacific countries. The 2009 Migrants Survey (Pilot) took place between August and October 2009 and achieved a sample of 458 Pacific and 2,614 non-Pacific respondents.