New citizens strengthen district, says mayor

New citizens are strengthening Timaru’s social fabric, its mayor says.

A Somali-born refugee freezing worker, a German-born cardiologist and a Lebanese-born pharmacist were among 38 citizens welcomed at a citizenship ceremony on Tuesday.

Timaru District Mayor Damon Odey said the new citizens helped to grow the district’s population and diversity. ‘‘It’s fantastic.’’ Ali Ege said

he

had

found Timaru a welcoming place.

Ege arrived in Auckland, from Somalia, in 2007 and had since taken up work at Silver Fern Farms’ Pareora freezing works.

Smithfield freezing worker Ali Ahmad, who was with Ege at the ceremony, said Timaru was a peaceful place and its people were friendly and tolerant.

Speaking after the ceremony, Aoraki Multicultural Council publicity officer Kate Elsen said the ceremony showed Timaru had a ‘‘very caring community’’ which could welcome more refugees.

Elsen said she had recently returned from travelling in Europe and the difficult situation refugees entering Europe from the Middle East and North Africa faced was clear.

Mona McKenzie said her family in Lebanon and Syria were always on her mind.

McKenzie, who now lives in Geraldine and works as a pharmacist in Timaru, said her sister lived near Latakia on the Syrian coast.

The region remained under the control of Syrian president Bashar Al-Assad, and McKenzie said food prices there had trebled in recent years.

The ceremony also had significance for Timaru cardiologist Dr Bernhard Kuepper, who was given citizenship along with his wife, Ulla, and two of his children, Laura and Jan.

Kuepper said New Zealand had provided his children with many opportunities and life here had immersed them in a second language.

Kuepper wore a cap and two sashes from two long-standing German student fraternal associations for the occasion.

The ceremony was also a special one for Kuepper’s son, Jan.

Kuepper, who represented Germany at international competitions, would now be able to skate for New Zealand.

Speed skating coach Bill Begg said Kuepper’s new citizenship would allow him to represent New Zealand at the Oceania championships in Timaru next Easter.

Begg said the ‘‘strong-willed’’ Kuepper had already placed highly in an open men’s race, against senior skaters, while still racing in the junior category.

Kuepper, who had also broken several skating records, won the Nicole Begg Trophy for top juniors with Charlotte Clarke in August.

Begg said Kuepper would now have to set a goal to break more records.