United Future leader, Hon Peter Dunne, says comments by Richard Prebble and Winston Peters on refugee issues show both ACT and New Zealand First are two sides of the same coin.

"Mr Prebble criticises plans to increase refugee numbers saying that we will end up letting in people, whose cultural backgrounds are too different to enable them to settle well here."

"Mr Peters says letting in more refugees will make New Zealanders second class citizens."

"Both are seeking to play on New Zealanders' latent fears, rather than address the real issue," he says.

Mr Dunne says refugee policy needs to be seen in the context of an overall positive immigration policy that contributes to economic growth, such as United Future has long advocated.

"A consistent, long term immigration policy aimed at increasing New Zealand's population to around 5 million over the next 15 years would have a long term positive impact on economic growth of about 0.5% per annum."

"Within that, our response to refugee issues should be a humanitarian one, not one that panders to prejudice."

"By all means we should accept the best people to come to New Zealand, but we should not close the door on people for the arbitrary reasons Mr Prebble and Mr Peters promote," Mr Dunne says.

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