"My mother, an Afghan refugee, and I, arrived in New Zealand seven years ago. In 2022, I applied for my brother's Resident visa, hoping to reunite with him after he had been lost and out of contact for over 17 years in Afghanistan.

In 2023, I visited the Manawatū Multicultural Council (MMC) and met with community connector Asmatullah, explaining my brother's case, which had seen no progress. Asmatullah took on the case and contacted Immigration New Zealand. Later that year, my mother suffered a stroke, resulting in complete paralysis of the right side of her body. I was deeply distressed by my mother's condition and the lack of support. Asmatullah expedited my brother's case, informing the case officer at Immigration New Zealand of our family's urgent circumstances.

After nine months of hardship, on October 25th, 2023, Immigration New Zealand approved my brother's visa, along with visas for his wife and son. Immigration New Zealand also provided air tickets for my brother's family, and they arrived in Palmerston North on February 13th, 2025.

It was a momentous occasion for MMC to witness my mother's reunion with her son and his family after seventeen years. My entire family would like to express our profound gratitude to Asmatullah and MMC for their invaluable assistance during this challenging time. Without Asmatullah's support, we would have been unable to navigate the process due to language barriers and a lack of knowledge of immigration law."

 (February, 2025)