Ibrahim Omer

Ibrahim Omer (born 1979/1980) is a New Zealand politician. He was a Member of Parliament for the Labour Party from 2020 to 2023.

Early life Omer is a refugee from Eritrea. His mother language is Saho and he is a Muslim. He fled his home as a teenager to Sudan, where the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees became involved and referred his case on to third countries for resettlement.

While in United Nations-run refugee camps in Sudan, Omer worked as an interpreter. Omer says that his time in New Zealand began with cleaning and scrubbing floors; this period included working as a cleaner at Victoria University of Wellington where he would study and earn a Bachelor of Arts in political science in 2016. Omer described working until 4am cleaning the university, then attending a lecture at 10am in a room that he had cleaned the night before.

Omer has worked as a union organiser for E tū, Omer was also involved in advocating for a living wage, especially for cleaners at Victoria University of Wellington.

Member of Parliament

Omer entered Parliament in the .

Omer is New Zealand's first MP from Africa, and the second MP to have entered New Zealand as a refugee, after Golriz Ghahraman.

Omer's private member's bill, the Crimes (Theft By Employer) Amendment Bill, was selected for introduction in April 2023 and read a first time. The bill intended to clarify that an employer withholding an employees' wages is theft. In March 2025, under the stewardship of Camilla Belich and with the support of Labour, the Green Party, Te Pāti Māori (all in Opposition) and New Zealand First (part of the Government), the bill completed its third reading. He was successful in his bid and contested the electorate for Labour at the general election. During the election campaign, Omer claimed that Labour had not abandoned its policy of introducing a capital gains tax. This was rebuffed by Labour leader Chris Hipkins, who confirmed that Labour would not be introducing a capital gains tax if re-elected into government. In the October 2023 election, Omer was defeated in his electorate by Tamatha Paul by a margin of 6,066 votes and did not return to Parliament.

Political views Omer expressed a desire to focus on racism, unequal opportunities, and issues facing low-paid workers during his time in Parliament.