The war in Ukraine has sparked a global humanitarian effort to help millions of displaced Ukrainians, yet there are criticisms the response is disproportionate to how those in other war-torn regions have historically been treated.
As the conflict escalated, the New Zealand Government offered shelter to relatives of Ukrainians living here - an offer that could see up to 4000 of them arrive.
But refugee advocates are calling on the Government to extend its offer of shelter to include those with relatives in other war-torn countries like Afghanistan, Syria, and Ethiopia's Tigray region.
Jay Marlow, the co-director of the Centre for Asia Pacific Refugee Studies at Auckland University, says the Government's offer to Ukrainians is welcome.
"It's important New Zealand shows solidarity, but it also illustrates New Zealand can make that commitment and can make it fairly quickly."
While he says it's understandable to see the urgency around the Ukrainian situation, the response could be applied to other situations.
"The reality is we could have extended similar visa schemes to Ethiopians, Afghanis, Myanmarese, to Iraqis," he said.
"They could have also brought family members living in precarious situations over here."
Last year, when the conflict in Afghanistan faced a major escalation, New Zealand did provide safe haven to many Afghanis who worked for our Defence Force and their immediate families. Around 900 have arrived since then, but some were left behind, and others failed to fit within the narrow criteria set.
Auckland father-of-two Darman has had all his attempts to get his family a visa to come here from Afghanistan declined. It's been a difficult time for him. He's become a solo parent to his two teenager daughters after their mother recently died.
His remaining family are living in fear in Afghanistan, under Taliban rule.
"Life is not normal there, first of all no job, and life you can't guarantee anything for a second," he said.
The situation has left him feeling powerless to help.
"If they give a visa to my family, that will save lives," he said.
In a statement, acting general manager border and visa operations, Jock Gilray, says there are "no plans to extend a similar temporary visa programme to family members in other war-torn countries".
There has been some criticism that how the world has so far responded to Ukraine has been "Euro-centric", with countries like Hungary, and Poland, that have previously resisted the influx of refugees from places like Syria and Africa, now welcoming in thousands of Ukranians.
Massey University sociologist Paul Spoonley says there are a lot of factors at play when it comes to how countries welcome in refugees.
"It's a major humanitarian crisis, but it's also a clash that pits us against Russia. So I think there is a lot of sympathy for the victims in this case. Whereas Syria, or Myanmar, it is a lot further away and a lot less out of sight."
In New Zealand, he says there are similar influences.
"When we look at who we accept as refugees or consider as refugees, then it is very much dictated by humanitarian crisis, but also local and international geopolitical interests."
The latest UN High Commissioner for Refugees report shows New Zealand has one of the lowest numbers of refugees per capita in the world. It takes in 0.3 refugees per 1000 people - putting it 95th on the global list. By contrast Sweden takes 23 per 1000.
Covid-19 also saw New Zealand's annual quota of 1500 refugees unmet over the last two years.
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