The first Albanians to emigrate to New Zealand came during the 1950s. One of them, Petrit Alliu, tells how from Istanbul with the steamer boat "Goya" they went in New Zealand on May 1, 1951. The exact number is not known, but that steamer, according to Mr. Alliut had more than 60 Albanians, all men and young people from all Albanian ethnic lands. Each of the newcomers has their own creepy and terrifying story while fleeing their homeland.
Aotearoa, as New Zealand was called by the first Maori settlers, is located on the southwest side of the Pacific Ocean, 8,000 km off the coast of South America, and 2,000 km north separates it from the coast of eastern Australia. With an area of 269,000 square km, roughly adjacent to the UK and Japan. The ethnic structure is dominated by the European immigrant population.
Dutch sailor Abel Tasman First European at Aotearoa
The first European to set foot in Aotearoa was the Dutch seafarer Abel Tasman, in 1642, who stayed for a short time along the west coast and according to the region of Zealand in the Netherlands called the newly visited island "New Zealand". After 127 years follows the visit of English Captain James Cook with his sailors, who came from Tahiti, 1769. In 1814, English missionaries first came to spread the Christian religion. On February 6, 1840, after the signing of the treaty between the natives / MAORI / and the representative of Queen Victoria, in the town of Waitangi, Great Britain declared the New Zealand its colony. In the years that followed, the arrivals continued with increased intensity from Great Britain, and later from other countries of Europe, Asia… Today in this country with over 4 million inhabitants coexist in complete harmony many cultures, languages and races people, among them Albanians who came here after the application of the Slavo-communist system of 1945 in Albanian lands, ie at the beginning of the fifth decade of the twentieth century. The chronicle of the migrations of Albanians to the state of peace, tranquility, and order is part of the painful history of displacement with repression and violence from their lands. The Albanian diaspora in New Zealand is one of the newest diasporas viewed in terms of the time of emigration from all other Albanian communities around the world.
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| The first Albanian emigrants in the steamer "Goya", April 1951. In the photo from the left-above: Aqif Kaskin, Lulzim Pogoni, Qamil Hasani, Petrit Alliu, Halit Bajrami Kamber Rrustemi (from Vlora, killed by Yugoslav UDBA in Australia). |
The first Albanians came with the steamer "Goya"
Petrit Alliu, one of the first emigrants to New Zealand, tells about the emigration of the first Albanians to New Zealand. "From Istanbul with the steamer 'Goya', we arrived in Zealand on May 1, 1951. I do not remember the exact number, but we were more than 60 Albanians, all men and young people from all our ethnic lands. I am mentioning some of them: Fadil Kaceli, Shaqir Seferi / deceased /, Besim Kazazi / deceased / Lulzim Pogoni from Tirana, Shaban Kryeziu, Jorgji Harillamsi, Halit Bajrami (a former military member who together with Xhevdet Mustafa and Sabaudin Hazendari landed as a saboteur in Divjaka (Albania) on September 24, 1982. Xhevdet and Sabaudin are killed by Albanian Security agents, while Halit surrenders, and after a "prison" stay in Albania returns to New Zealand, he died in Auckland, probably in 2007), Bahri Kavaja from Shkodra, Masar Krasniqi from Prishtina, Zydi Zequllari and Islam Kulla / deceased / from Korça, Bajram Murati from Vlora, Musa Hajdari from Muzeqina, Nevruz Mullaj from Gjirokastra, Sabahudin Qefaliu of Qamil Hasani, from Tetovo, Ramazan Daja / deceased / from Petrela, Kamber Rustemi / killed by UDBA in Australia, from Vlora /, Vilson Shkambi, Xhelo Resuli, K. Myrteza, Ramadan Nazifi / deceased / from Laberia , Nazmi Mehmeti from Gostivar and others. The way we looked the world in the eye was very painful, he says, Mr. Alliu. Each of us has our own creepy and terrifying story of escaping from our homeland."
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| Auckland, 1954, from the left: Shaqir Seferi, Shaban Kryeziu, Fadil Kaceli and Petrit Alliu |
In addition to the Albanians, there were Romanians, Bulgarians, Slovenes, and Bosniaks on board of the Goya. We first settled in Pahitua, a town near Wellington. After 6 weeks, they distributed us all over Zealand on farms, providing us with an identification card and a work permit. We quickly found ourselves and for a while we adapted to the new circle. After two years we had the right to settle down and work where we wanted. Some of us settled in the town of Auckland. With work, we created good living conditions. I believe that even before us there were Albanians in New Zealand. When we arrived we met an Albanian woman from Egypt who spoke Albanian well. What happened to her later I do not know. There were rumors about three other Albanian women from Llogara of Vlora settled here before us, then of Albanians from Australia who had come to look for gold in the rivers here, but they did not stay long in New Zealand. However, we were the first Albanian political emigrants, with such a large number, settled on this remote island. Here we formed the Civic League of Albanians in New Zealand. The President of the League, Mazhar Krasniqi, and all the rest of us focused our efforts on preserving traditions, language, maintaining ties, attitudes in raising awareness of the unresolved issue of Kosovo with its Albanian sister diasporas in Australia, America, and elsewhere. We used to gather on weekends, holidays and we never forgot where we came from, we never lost hope that one day the red dictatorship would break its neck. On the occasion of Flag Day we met in the house of one of us and celebrated as a family, in front of the red and black flag we sang the anthem, listened to Albanian music that evoked the past… Today our children in this beautiful country with true democracy have created their families and live comfortably the standard of Zealand society ”. According to Petrit Alliu, born in Tirana in 1930, who fled in 1948, first to Turkey and then to New Zealand, a respected personality and well-known name in Zealand football in 1952-1956. Around the '70s and' 80s of the last century there were individual arrivals, and after 1990 due to the persecution, imprisonment and murder of Albanians in Kosovo, the mass exodus to Albania, the number of those who came to Zealand increased slightly. The second, last wave of mass immigration took place after the violent displacement, the genocide in Kosovo, in the spring of 1999. On May 22, 1999, the first Albanian refugees arrived, they were taken in an organized manner by the Government of Zealand in refugee camps in Macedonia. The entire Albanian community, large and small, many Zealanders and others, came out from the Auckland airport, headed by the then Prime Minister of the Government of Zealand, Jenny Shipley, with associates and representatives of the opposition to welcome the refugees from Kosovo.
The young refugees of ’99
The arrivals continued throughout 1999. It should be mentioned that among the refugees there were also prominent personalities of Albanian culture and science: Academician Enver Gjerqeku, writer Rexhep Hoxha, Dr. Hysen Ukmata et al. The newcomers (with the exception of four families who arrived in 2000) were related to New Zealand Albanians. The receptions were warm and exciting. After a week in the Mangere camp, Albanian families are welcomed to move into their rented apartments. All located in Auckland, suburbs: Orakei, Mission Bay, Pakuranga, Medolbank, Sten Jons, Kohimarama, Glendowie, Panmure, Onehunga, St. Louis. Heliers, Mt. Welligton, Buckland Beach, Epsom etc. The Albanians in the newly arrived city started with organized English language courses, to then continue with retraining for various professions. A number of them voluntarily returned to Kosovo after a year. The qualifying structure of Albanian emigrants is high. Young people continue their education in their respective schools, primary school students are scattered in those schools where their families are located, while high school students attend classes almost all in the high school Selwyn College / Kohimarama.
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| Selwyn College, 2000. Kosovo girls, from the left: Nita, Marigona, Majlinda, Alma, Kaltrina, Blerta, Rina and Ardita on foot |
They all settle in the big city of Auckland. Thanks to cultural behavior, correct work, Albanians, here in Zealand, are respected as hardworking and good family people. As everywhere in the world, the Albanians are showing skilled and smart workers, especially in the field of economy and business. The immigrants in 1951 were mainly from Albania, while the immigrants in 1999 are from Kosovo. The Albanian community is concentrated in the city of Auckland. There may be Albanians in other cities, but we do not know. In the conversation with the emigrants, who have followed the movements, the arrivals of the Albanians, it turns out that in New Zealand there should be at around 400 to 500 Albanians. Albanian immigrants, I am talking about the immigrations of 1999, all of which are concentrated in the city of Auckland. Albanians constitute a small but important part of the multicultural city. The favorite place for Albanians is the Mission Bay suburb. Mission Bay conducts very successful hotel activities: Muharrem Muharremi - Mema, Xhelal Jashari and Bajram Jusufi. Their restaurants are distinguished for food specialties, timely services, cleanliness, and order. In this wonderful suburb of the largest city in New Zealand, the hair salon for men and women is known, which is owned by the hairdresser from Prishtina Agim Agolli, "Gimmy's Hair Desing". The owner of the ice cream company Tair Tairi has expanded its activity, opening these days in Mission Bay confectionery according to the confectionery factory in Prishtina and Skopje. In the group of Albanians who have found success through restaurants is also the businessman Abdullah Bashota with his famous restaurant "Red Elephant" and young people Sokol Krasniqi and Astrit Jolla with the restaurant "Safran" in one of the most luxurious neighborhoods of the city in Newmarket. It should be noted that the vast majority of workers in the mentioned restaurants are Albanian. Salih Salihu with his sons Albani, Agron and Drilon for a short time has managed to become a typical model of a successful businessman. The names of Burim Xharra, Ismet Selimi, Ideal Huskaj, Burim Prekazi, Agron Hasani, Drin Murati, Sharr Brezart, etc., who have their own businesses, should also be added to the group of businessmen. Many others are working in the trade sector, administration, construction, medicine, etc. On this occasion, we should not forget the young Albanians who have completed their studies and those who are expected to complete them at the Universities of the city of Auckland, who within a few years will be the stars of intellectuals and business in this developed country.
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| Auckland, March 8, 1998. Albanian mothers in protest: Stop the massacres in Kosovo! |
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| At Nero Cafe, Auckland, November 2009. Photo: Hysen Zeqiri. The café is located in the central part of Auckland from the terrace of which you can see Rangitoto Island, world famous for its unique shape. On the terrace of the cafe, Albanian-Zealanders meet and talk: about worries, longing for the homeland, events in Kosovo, Albania .., beat their chests, exchange words with laughter. Drinks do not have a primary function for them because they come here exclusively to speak with each other, exchange cigarettes, get rid of boredom, pass the time and debate various topics. |
As everywhere in the world, the Albanian Diaspora here in the country with diverse history and experience in terms of tolerance and interethnic and cultural understanding is facing the problem of preserving the language and national identity. As the number of our children grows, preserving the language and learning it is becoming increasingly difficult. The Albanian community should be aware that the provision of a permanent restaurant where they would hold activities, open classes for learning the Albanian language, and through it the culture, history, and everything else that has to do with Albanians is more than necessary.
This can be achieved very easily when we consider the great intellectual potential that Albanians have here: teachers, professors, economists, engineers, doctors, architects, pharmacists, dentists…, then New Zealand is a cordial country that offers opportunities to great realization if you have the will and love for yourself and for your Nation.
* Taken from the book "Sons of Albania in the Land of White Clouds", Auckland, 2010 by Sabit Abdyli.
