ANNE STANLEY MP
OPPOSITION WHIP
MEMBER FOR WERRIWA

CELEBRATING REFUGEE WEEK 2020 IN WERRIWA

Anne Stanley MP, Federal Member for Werriwa, has praised the valuable contribution that refugees have made - and continue to make - in Werriwa, as Refugee Week 2020 continues.

“Hard-working refugees have enriched our culture and demonstrated how integral they are to the fabric of our community,” said Ms Stanley. 

“At the last Census, 41% of Werriwa’s residents were born overseas.

“Many of those came to Australia to find a safe haven and now call our community home. The success of our community shows how much their positive impact has had on our community.

“We should use this week to raise awareness of the issues that may still need to be addressed.

“Organisations like Western Sydney Migrant Resource Centre, Liverpool City Council, NSW Services for the Treatment and Rehabilitation of Torture and Trauma Survivors (STARTTS), Core Community Services and Settlement Services International all do amazing work in this electorate and have had a profound impact on settlement and personal success by providing thousands of services per year, and I thank them for their dedication to this vital role,” she said.

Australia has welcomed over 900,000 refugees since 1947 providing safe-haven to people who have escaped persecution and unimaginable tragedy.       

“All levels of government must work together to continue to provide critical support services like education and training, language support, legal, and housing services to people who have settled in Australia.”

Whilst COVID-19 restrictions are being eased, Ms Stanley has encouraged community members to attend virtual celebrations for this year’s Refugee Week.

Refugee Week is being celebrated from Sunday 14 June, 2020 and culminates on World Refugee Day – Saturday 20 June, 2020. People can join the celebrations by using the hashtags #RefugeeWeek and #YearOfWelcome.                                    

“Labor wants to ensure refugees can continue to be welcomed to and supported in Australia and to ensure our humanitarian settlement program is something that all Australians can always be proud of,” said Ms Stanley.