Refugees love it here
REFUGEE numbers are steadily growing in Townsville, with the Multicultural Support Group settling 170 new residents in the past year.
Humanitarian settlement services program manager Meg Davis said what was “heartening” was the high number of refugees who decided to stay in Townsville for the long term.
“In the past we’d get refugees but they would leave within a month or two,” she said. “What we’re seeing an increase in is that the majority of refugees sent to Townsville want to stay in Townsville.
“I feel Townsville really has come of age in terms of its inclusive, welcoming stance.”
The Townsville Multicultural Support Group has a Federal Government contract to help each refugee settled in the city with everything from housing to public transport and migrants are also often referred to the group for help.
Ms Davis said Townsville had a large Somali community, as well small groups of people from Sudan and Iraq and Congo.
“It’s so wonderful to see families settle into Townsville life,” she said.
“It’s also so beautiful to see Townsville families be so embracing and welcoming of our refugees.”
Refugees Uweza Saleh Bejo and Josephine Ramy Myrene escaped war- torn Congo to settle in Towns- ville, where they want to work and make a better life for their family.
The couple spent seven years in a camp in Kenya before arriving in Townsville in October last year.
“When I was in the camp I heard that white people didn’t really want us here,” he said. “But that information was, thankfully, not correct. We have found the community in Townsville to be so very welcoming.
“We feel very lucky to have good neighbours and a good school community at Calvary Christian College who have only shown us kindness.”
Mr Saleh Bejo said he planned to call Townsville home long term.
“I’ve been going to english classes for the past six months and plan to find work once my english is better,” he said. “We feel very lucky. The older children love the school they go to and we have become involved with the school community as well as the church community.”
Next week, the Townsville Multicultural Support Group will mark Refugee Week to help celebrate the contributions and achievements of people in the community who have experienced life as a refugee.
A free film screening of Constance on the Edge will be shown on Friday, June 23, from 6.30pm at Strand Park. The event starts at 5pm and includes market stalls, food stalls and free popcorn.
Go to www. tmsg. org. au for the line up of events for Refugee Week.