Uyghur Solidarity Aotearoa New Zealand and Khadija Leadership Network will present to MPs Golriz Ghahraman and Ibrahim Omer a petition on Tuesday requesting that the government creates a pathway for Uyghur refugees to safely reach New Zealand through the Refugee Quota Programme.

To date, the petition has been signed by over 1,000 people including representatives from community organisations across the country.

Green MP Golriz Ghahraman, and Labour MP Ibrahim Omer, will receive the petition before presenting it to Parliament for consideration.

"The Uyghur people are suffering from atrocities on a massive scale. Many have escaped China, and they are desperate to reach safety," said Sam Vincent of Uyghur Solidarity Aotearoa New Zealand.

"The US, Canada and the Netherlands have each declared that the Chinese government is committing genocide against the Uyghur people in Xinjiang province. As many as two million Uyghurs - possibly more - are detained in concentration camps, forced labour facilities, or prisons," Vincent said.

"As New Zealanders, we take pride in having a global stance on issues of human rights. We are inviting our decision-makers to do more for the Uyghurs," said Vincent.

"In recent years, we have used our Refugee Quota Programme to create a pathway for Syrian refugees, and for Rohingya refugees from Myanmar, to reach safety in Aotearoa. It is time we do the same for the Uyghurs," Vincent said.

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