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Liverpool declares itself Refugee Welcome Zone

With one of the largest intakes of refugees in Australia, Liverpool City Council has declared itself a Refugee Welcome Zone. Launching the zone at a special Refugee Week celebration in October, Council affirmed its commitment to supporting refugee communities in Liverpool.

Mark Lamond, Liverpool City Council’s Group Manager City Development, said the declaration is a commitment in spirit to welcoming refugees into the local community, upholding the rights of refugees, demonstrating compassion to refugees and enhancing cultural and religious diversity in Liverpool.

“The successful settlement of refugees requires a collaborative multi agency approach and the mobilisation of the resources of the State and Federal Governments,” he said. “One of Council’s most important roles is to continue to advocate on behalf of the refugee community for adequate resources to be provided to meet their needs.”

The Refugee Council of Australia has welcomed Liverpool’s decision to join 47 other Refugee Welcome Zones throughout Australia.

More than 140 nationalities are represented in Liverpool, speaking 111 different languages. In other words, more than 30 per cent of Liverpool’s population were born overseas, with about 44 per cent of the community speaking a language other than English at home. Liverpool received the highest number of refugee settlers in New South Wales between January 1998 and December 2003, with 20.5 per cent, and this trend looks set to continue.

Council’s Non English Speaking Background Worker, Anita Hanna, said there were a number of reasons why refugees are making Liverpool their first point of residence.

“There are several support networks for refugees based in Liverpool such as the NSW Refugee Health Service and the Service for the Treatment and Rehabilitation of Torture and Trauma Survivors (STARTTS),” she said. “All of these local agencies, including the Liverpool Migrant Resource Centre and intensive English language centres, contribute to making Liverpool a city where refugees feel supported and comfortable and can make their transition to Australian society with ease.

“When first arriving in a new country, it’s important to have support centres close at hand and lobby groups, such as the Liverpool based Refugee and Humanitarian Network. More affordable housing costs in Liverpool is also a contributing factor to Liverpool’s high refugee intake and the City’s incredibly rich diversity creates a unique melting pot that welcomes people from anywhere in the world.”

Most newly arrived refugees in Liverpool come from Arabic, Serbian and Bosnian speaking backgrounds from countries including Iraq, Sudan, Serbia and Bosnia Herzogovina. Other, smaller or emerging groups of refugees, come from Afghanistan, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Assyrian, plus Kurdish and Farsi speaking countries. There are also significant numbers of more established refugee groups, including Spanish and Vietnamese speaking communities.

For further information contact Anita Hanna on (02) 9821 7779 or to find out more about Refugee Welcome Zones visit www.refugeecouncil.org.au

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