PORT PHILLIP TO BE DECLARED A 'REFUGEE WELCOME ZONE'
For World Refugee Day, Thursday June 20, the City of Port Phillip will add
its voice to a number of local governments in declaring its municipality a
'refugee welcome zone'. The initiative is being promoted by the Refugee
Council of Australia.
So far, the Cities of Melbourne, Darebin, Hume, Monash, Brimbank,
Boroondara, Port Phillip, Port Adelaide-Enfield, Fremantle and Brisbane have
committed in spirit "to welcoming refugees to their community, upholding the
human rights of refugees, demonstrating compassion to refugees and enhancing
cultural and religious diversity in our community".
Port Phillip mayor, Darren Ray, said that last month the council had adopted
a policy on asylum seekers.
"There has been a long and proud history of refugee settlement in Port
Phillip, especially since World War 11. Thousands of refugees from war-torn
Europe landed at Station Pier and settled locally. This was part of the
impetus behind the recent Tampa Tribute. Kathy Laster, a Jewish St Kilda
resident whose vision and determination drove that event, was not a refugee
from World War 11 but from the Hungarian uprising of 1956.
"Kathy arrived as a young child but she knows andwe know, that we are all in
the same boat, when war or calamity strikes. In the Middle East, Jews and
Muslims are at loggerheads but here in Australia, and most especially this
community, the Jewish community has been most vociferous in speaking up for
the rights of refugees, many of whom are Muslim. They know what it is like
to be a stranger in a strange land, or in a strange sea.
"At the moment, unlike our counterparts in Moreland, Darebin and Dandenong,
the City of Port Phillip is not directly involved in settling people on
temporary protection visas. Some have joined our community thanks to amazing
efforts of the Brigidine convent in Albert Park. They provide hospitality
and practical assistance to refugees as well as advocating for their rights.
Four refugees now live in their house on Beaconsfield Parade. Other refugees
live in Office of Housing accommodation in places like Park Towers in South
Melbourne," he said.
Cr Ray said that, nevertheless, the local community had sought a public
statement that asserts that the current treatment of asylum seekers, and
particularly their mandatory detention, is unjust and inhumane, compounding
the trauma that most individuals have experienced.
"The City of Port Phillip is proud to stand side by side with asylum
seekers. We are committed to engaging with local citizens and groups,
including multicultural, interfaith, community health and support agencies,
to determine how this community can support asylum seekers. Our first step
is to reserve two places at the South Central Migrant Resource Centre for
people on temporary protection visas who are therefore ineligible for
government-funded English-language lessons," he said.
Cr Ray said that a letter sent on July 30 last year from the council's
multicultural advisory committee to the Minister for Immigration, Phillip
Ruddick, protesting about the treatment of asylum seekers, remained
unanswered.
"Maybe he's been too busy drawing up plans to exclude bits and pieces
Australia from the 'migration zone' but I know that many people would like
an answer. Like reconciliation, this issue has cut to the core of what this
nation should stand for but doesn't. Both issues are, in fact, related.
"With the exception of indigenous Australians, we are all boat people (even
if some of our forebears arrived by plane). Because our nation still has to
make peace with indigenous Australians over the illegal occupation of their
land two centuries ago, we feel our hold on this country is still fragile.
We fear, irrationally, that another group of boat people could take it all
away. If our society is to heal and grow, we need to resolve these issues
sooner rather than later," he said.
Deputy mayor, Liz Johnstone, will sign the 'Refugee Welcome Zone'
declaration at a Refugee Council of Victoria media conference at 12 noon,
Wednesday June 19, Chapel Off Chapel, 12 Little Chapel Street, Prahran, the
day before World Refugee Day. Last year World Refugee Day was designated to
be June 20 by the UN General Assembly to mark the 50th anniversary of the
1951 Refugee Convention. This year the theme is women refugees.
The same night, June 19, the Refugee Council of Victoria will host an
evening of music, entertainment and performance entitled "Welcome Stranger",
at 7.30pm, also at Chapel Off Chapel. It includes a performance of refugee
stories by some of Australia's most talented actors - Secret Life of Us
stars Joel Edgerton, Deborah Mailman, and Alice Garner, John Wood (Blue
Heelers), Annie Phelan (Something in the Air), Rachel Maza (Radiance) - and
refugees living in our community including Fahim Fayyazi and Samira Mohamed.
Their performances will be followed by music and entertainment by a variety
of Melbourne musicians including Kavish Mazzella. Melbourne comedian Hung
Le, a refugee from Vietnam in the mid-70s, will MC.
Enquiries: After hours
Carmel Shute Darren Ray
Council Media Officer Mayor
Tel: 9209 6163 Fax: 9525 4640 Tel: 9527 5364 (h)
Mobile: 0412 569 356 Mobile: 0413 334 523
Council webpage: www.portphillip.vic.gov.au
Carmel Shute
Council Media Officer
City of Port Phillip
Ph: 03 9209 6163
Fax: 03 9525 4640
Mob: 0412 569 356
email: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
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