Welcome to refugees
This means Council will:
- Develop a tangible and visible policy of welcome, acceptance and hope to people classed as refugees in Australia today
- Facilitate community awareness of the needs of refugees and asylum seekers
- Promote the development of a community strategy to identify, support and welcome refugees in the community.
Refugee stories
The refugee stories you find below give an intensely personal insight into the lives of four people who have come to be part of the Newcastle community. Many migrants who are so much a part of our diverse culture were also refugees who fled persecution, conflict and violence to start again in Australia.
These migrants also have happy stories of how they were greeted with open arms by certain segments of our community and helped to adjust to life in a new country and a new culture. Many migrants and refugees however also have stories about non-acceptance and discrimination.
"People died every day from starvation..."
“We worked all day, every day. We worked hard from 4 o’clock in the morning until 9 o’clock at night, and there was no food. People died every day from starvation. We ate grass, leaves, insects, anything.”
‘From Zero to Hope’, Yean Sou’s story from the Newcastle Herald 26.6.92
of life in Cambodia under Pol Pot c1970s.
“The life in the camp was very difficult. We lived in cardboard ‘houses’ and shared very small rations and health facilities with over 50,000 refugees. There was never enough food and no water. We had to travel for miles on horseback to find water and the life expectancy is only 40 years of age. Women had stopped having children.”
Mabor’s story of life in civil war torn Sudan 1996
“From there (Ankara) we heard that the United Nations were no longer accepting Iraqis. They were told by Saddam’s Government that Iraq’s refugees would be able to return safely to Baghdad. Coming from Saddam, we were naturally suspicious of the offer...We heard later, that Saddam had hanged those refugees who had chosen to return to Iraq.”
Ibtihal’s story of life in post Gulf War Iraq c1992
“It was common to walk among the streets and see bodies left lying in the road or floating in the river.”
Miguel Hidalgo’s story of life in Pinochet’s Chile post 1973
To view the full refugee stories:-
- From Zero to Hope’, Yean Sou’s story 23kb pdf
- Mabor’s story 16kb pdf
- Ibtihal’s story 14kb pdf
- Miguel Hidalgo’s Story 17kb pdf
