More families fleeing war will have a safe place to call home in Aotearoa after the government announced their decision to increase the refugee quota.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says it'll rise from 1,000 to 1,500 annually by July 2020, before the next election.
"Refugees become great citizens, who bring valuable skills and experience to New Zealand and help make our country a more diverse and vibrant place," she says.
She also says the government is working to increase the number and geographical spread of refugee resettlement and support services.
"This will change lives and not just for refugee families."
Confirmation of the quota increase, a Labour pre-election policy, puts an end to speculation that it could be scrapped after New Zealand First leader and Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters cast doubt on the move.
It will also provide Ardern some welcome relief ahead of her trip to New York for the United Nations General Assembly next week - a forum at which New Zealand's commitment to multilateral regimes will be under the microscope.
The decision comes after years of calls for New Zealand to double its quota. In 2016, the last National government increased the quota from 750 to 1000, a change which took effect last year.