Tony Touri doesn't know where he might have ended up if not for the support of prisoner support group Pars.

Dozens of Australian deportees are returning to New Zealand each month, sparking concerns resources are too stretched for them to reintegrate successfully.

Helen Murphy, manager of Prisoners' Aid and Rehabilitation Society of Canterbury (Pars), said Kiwi-born criminals from across the Tasman were "coming continuously".

Police figures show that of the 660 sent back since January 2015, 218 had offended in New Zealand since their return.

IAIN MCGREGOR/FAIRFAX NZ The irony of living right next door to the old Addington jail in Christchurch is not lost on Australian deportee Tony Touri.

A further 15 arrivals from Australia are expected in February.

READ MORE:

* Australian deportees are filing into New Zealand

* Career criminal, 49, to be deported from Australia

* Former criminal deported and separated from family

* Kiwi man deported after Australian murder allegedly kills again

* Australian crims: 'Send them home'

* $100,000 to help Kiwis deported from Australia

Police Association president Chris Cahill said long-term measures were needed to better support the numbers coming through.

"It's far from an ideal situation. The Aussies think it's great because it's a win win for them."

Cahill said there was little compassion in the Australian policy, which sent back everyone no matter what their offence.

"It might be one thing when you've got someone that has committed an armed robbery sitting in jail. It's different when you've got someone who has lived their whole life there and been convicted of a relatively minor offence."

Tony Touri, 48, landed in Christchurch before Christmas, after stints in jail and an Australian immigration detention centre.

He left behind his family, a $2000-a-week job and the kickboxing club where he helped train youth.

Touri saw Christchurch as a fresh start with labouring opportunities and a place free from old North Island gang connections.

"It turned my life upside down. When I arrived here, I felt like an alien."

Cahill said it had been well proven through released prisoners, that if supports were not in place, the risk of reoffending was greater.

"These people are sort of similar but there isn't the same support available to follow up with them all the time, so it doesn't surprise me we're getting that 30 per cent reoffending," he said.

The Canterbury branch of Pars has found growing demand for their support service.

"We could have one in a month. We could get roughly one a week, then two in one week," Murphy said.

In 2014, Pars settled just three people in Christchurch. That figure rose to 15 in 2015 and to 51 in 2016.

Five women were among the group that had arrived since 2014.

Counties Manukau District has the highest population of deportees, with 118 residing in the area.

Auckland City has attracted 89, while 69 people are listed in Canterbury.

Wellington has 52 returning offenders and 51 are in the Waitemata District.

Corrections deputy national commissioner Rachel Leota​ said the provision of effective reintegration services for returning offenders was important because many did not have strong links to New Zealand.

Corrections budgeted $300,000 a year for five years for providers such as Pars to help returning offenders settle back into life in New Zealand.

Prior to entering a contract with the Corrections in 2016, Pars received $77,000 from the Christchurch City Council to support deportees.

Cahill said before an information sharing agreement with Australian authorities was signed in September 2015, police were lucky to get a few hours notice of new arrivals.

"Whereas now we are able to prepare a little and have staff meet them."

High-risk offenders are visited by police 48 hours after arrival.

"It's good in theory but there simply aren't the resources to do that. And there are no controls," Cahill said.

He said in some cases in Auckland, returning offenders had checked out of supported living arrangements or motels before police arrived for their checkup.

"They're not breaking the law per se when they do that, because a lot of them aren't under any restrictions. They're just into the wind."