ORANGE has shown its support for refugees from Sudan and on Tuesday night Refugee Council of Australia president Dr Phil Glendenning will outline Australia’s approach to the refugee crisis.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
In the last 10 years Orange has been home to hundreds of Sudanese families looking to establish a life in this country after fleeing their homeland.
Orange migrant support worker Anni Gallagher said at its peak the migrant program supported up to 400 members of the Sudanese community in Orange.
“The numbers are much lower now, around 130, and many have relocated to a warmer climate such as Sydney,” she said.
Ms Gallagher says many stay in regular contact.
“They were very grateful for the support they received when they were living in Orange,” she said.
“Many remain in constant contact, saying they were grateful for the opportunities presented when they were here.”
Ms Gallagher said when many Sudanese refugees came to Orange they were unable to speak English.
“We have excellent connections with TAFE here in Orange and we also helped many people through the process of getting their licence,” she said.
Ms Gallagher said Orange residents should feel proud of the way they have accepted refugees and migrants from other countries.
She began working with refugee families on a part-time basis in 2004, however, it soon became a full-time position because of the large number of refugees coming to Orange as the result of grants sourced by Orange City Council.
“All along council has been wonderfully supportive and, to my knowledge, when we began, council was the only one in NSW who made an application for a grant to help refugees and migrants transition into our community,” she said.
“Orange should celebrate the fact that we are now an extremely culturally-diverse community.”
The title of Dr Glendenning’s talk is “Australia is better than this” and everyone is welcome to attend.
It will be held at 7.30pm in the CWA Hall in Robertson Park.
