Michaela Meade
Hume council will become the third Melbourne council to join the Refugee Council of Australia’s (RCOA) Refugee Welcome Zone Leadership Group, furthering its commitment to supporting refugee and asylum seeker settlement.
The decision follows the council’s involvement in the Welcoming Cities Network, which promotes social cohesion and advocacy for refugee settlement, and an invitation from the RCOA to join the leadership group.
The Refugee Welcome Zone Leadership Group consists of Welcoming Cities Network councils and offers opportunities to share innovative programs and partnerships, advocate for policy improvement, and work more closely with refugee communities.
Cr Karen Sherry said it was important for Hume council to join the group.
“There’s only two other Melbourne municipalities as represented leaders so far, and that is the City of Greater Dandenong and the City of Darebin,” Cr Sherry said.
“Victoria receives the highest number of refugees and asylum seekers, and Hume City Council is currently amongst the top five municipalities in Victoria with residents living on a bridging visa.
Cr Naim Kurt said his own family experience with asylum seeking made him passionate about council joining the group.
“The story of seeking asylum in this country is a story which is close to many people in this community’s hearts, and a story which is very close to my family’s heart as well,” he said.
“We in fact were welcomed to this country as political refugees in the 1970s and the 1980s.
“So I’m always really, really supportive of anything to do in the refugee zone, anything to do in recognising our asylum seekers.”
