A LOCAL church says it could soon be struggling to fund a transition program
which aims to welcome the Afghani refugee population into the Swan Hill
community.
The Swan Hill Uniting Church Community Issues Group will host
another “Welcome The Afghani Refugees” event next week.
In the past the
events have proved to be popular since they were first introduced to the area in
September last year.
While September’s event attracted 62 attendees, a
further two events, in February and April have attracted a further 180
participants.
The increasingly popular events were provided through a $1900
grant from Multicultural Council Victoria.
However, the future of the event
remains uncertain as funding will run out after this month.
Community Issues
Group convenor Jill Pattenden said she expected more than 100 mostly Hazara — a
persecuted ethnic group in Afghanistan — at the upcoming meeting.
She said
many men left family in Afghanistan and had found the transition difficult,
especially when many did not speak English.
“Some are on bridging visas,
where they’re given $214 a week, and that’s if they’re assessed by the Red
Cross. If they don’t receive a [Red Cross] case worker, they get a Medicare card
and they’re not allowed to work,” Ms Pattenden said, noting they often bunked in
with friends to help cover costs.
For more of this story, see Wednesday’s Guardian (June 5).
