We are proud to be a Refugee Welcome Zone, having signed the Refugee Welcome Zone Declaration in 2018. The declaration is part of the Refugee Welcome Zone initiative that began in 2002 and is led by the Refugee Council of Australia.
Refugee Welcome Zone
We are joined by more than 170 other councils nationally who have registered as Refugee Welcome Zones. This public commitment is also an acknowledgment of the tremendous contributions refugees have made to our Australian society in the fields of medicine, science, engineering, sport, education and the arts. By making this declaration it is hoped that local government will be encouraged in their continuing efforts to support the men, women and children who make the difficult journey to Australia to seek our protection.
Who is a refugee?
A refugee is someone who has fled war, violence, conflict or persecution and has crossed an international border to find safety in another country. Sometimes the term refers to a person displaced due to a natural disaster.
For more information about refugees and asylum seekers, visit the Refugee Council of Australia-Refugees and Asylum Seekers website.
For more information about the different types of visas, visit the Department of Home Affairs website.
What is a Refugee Welcome Zone?
A Refugee Welcome Zone is a Local Government Area which has made a commitment in spirit to:
- welcoming refugees into the community
- upholding the human rights of refugees
- demonstrating compassion for refugees
- enhancing cultural and religious diversity in the community.
How Glen Eira supports refugees
There are many different services offering support within Glen Eira including:
- Council's Kindergarten Program gives priority to families who hold a humanitarian visa.
- Bayside Refugee Advocacy and Support Association, aims to raise awareness in our local area of the issues faced by asylum-seekers in Australia and its overseas detention centres.
- Noble Park English Language School — Stonnington Glen Eira Campus, is a primary school program for new arrivals.
- Peninsula Community Legal Centre in Benleigh offers free legal advice.
- Compass Community Care, supports displaced Ukrainians and help provide emergency food relief to high school students, refugees, pensioners, and families in crisis.
- MiCare or Migrant Care has a range of services for Residential Aged Care, Retirement Living, Home Care services, Migrant services, Social Support Groups, Volunteers, Meals (MiMeals), and other community services.
- English classes which are run through service providers such as neighbourhood houses within Glen Eira:
- Emergency relief, local connection and other supports:
- Bayside Community Emergency Relief
- Community Information and Support Glen Eira
- Jewish Care Victoria
- C-Care. Connecting through food and friendship
- The Salvation Army Bentleigh
- Ask Izzy | One website, thousands of support services
- Victorian Refugee Health Network, Refugee Health Program responding complex health issues.
For more information or if you have any questions about these services contact us 03 9524 3333 or email multicultural@gleneira.vic.gov.au
