The Global Project Against Hate and Extremism (GPAHE) today released a new report documenting the continuing presence of far-right hate and extremist groups in New Zealand, including neo-Nazi groups, white nationalist organizations, anti-immigrant movements, and religious nationalist networks.
New Zealand’s contemporary far right cannot be separated from the history of racism and discrimination against Māori and immigrant communities. The report traces the development of white supremacist organizing in New Zealand from the late 19th century through the rise of modern neo-Nazi and Identitarian movements. GPAHE’s research identifies groups including Action Zealandia, Destiny Church, National Socialist Faction, Remigration NZ, and Right Minds NZ, examining their activities, leadership, geographic presence, online networks, and connections to far-right movements abroad.
“The growing embrace of ‘remigration’ is particularly alarming because behind this sanitized political language is a profoundly racist proposition: that entire communities should be removed from their homes because of their race or ancestry. What we are seeing in New Zealand is part of a broader international effort to turn the politics of ethnic exclusion into an organized movement,” said Wendy Via, co-founder of GPAHE. “Our research shows that these movements have adapted. They are cultivating international connections, and dangerously presenting ‘remigration’ as a legitimate political objective.”
The Christchurch attacks prompted major changes in New Zealand, including firearms restrictions, increased protection for mosques, and a government effort to address the threat posed by white supremacy. However, extremist organizing persists and keeps evolving.
The report highlights:
- Government bans have disrupted, but not eliminated, extremist networks. The report finds that while New Zealand has taken significant steps to confront extremism since the 2019 Christchurch mosque attacks, organized extremist and far-right movements continue to operate across the country. Increasingly, these groups are embracing the far-right concept of “remigration,” which calls for the forced removal of immigrants and the ethnic cleansing of non-white populations.
- The emergence of the National Socialist Faction (NSF), a neo-Nazi group launched in April 2025. The organization uses Nazi imagery and slogans, organizes fitness and camping activities, conducts sticker campaigns, and celebrates Adolf Hitler. Its propaganda includes calls for a “White Revolution” and opposition to mass immigration.
- Action Zealandia continued the ideological legacy of the Dominion Movement, drawing inspiration from other international neo-Nazi groups such as the American neo-Nazi Rise Above Movement. They believe in white genocide and the “Great Replacement” conspiracy theory and consider themselves protectors of western civilization and European New Zealanders. The group has connections with far-right organizations in Australia, Europe, and the United States.
- The increasingly transnational nature of the far right in the country, with NZ-based organizations and groups drawing tactics, propaganda, and relationships from movements in Australia, Europe, and North America.
“Some of the most dangerous ideas in the far right are no longer being presented as extremist,” said Heidi Beirich, co-Founder of GPAHE. “They are being repackaged as immigration policy and national renewal. In New Zealand, and around the world, these ideas are giving white supremacists a political vehicle for promoting ethnic cleansing. That should alarm anyone who believes in democracy.”
GPAHE’s New Zealand report is part of the organization’s ongoing monitoring of far-right movements around the world. The research is intended to provide journalists, policymakers, civil society organizations, and researchers a detailed resource for understanding the organizations, ideologies, and networks shaping New Zealand’s extremist and far-right landscape. GPAHE acknowledges that it’s not possible to identify every extremist group at any one time.
