By Roxanne Millar
NEWLY arrived refugees in Hobsons Bay fear they will be thrown in jail if they do not find a job, a Karen youth leader says.
Laverton 19-year-old Sherinald Shwe said young Karen people were having trouble fitting into Hobsons Bay life because of language barriers and a lack of service information.
She said few went to university because they did not understand their options and many others felt teachers did not believe them when they missed school for immigration-required medical check-ups.
Others worried they would be arrested if they chose study over work when they finished the Adult Migrant English Program.
“They are really confused because it is a system all new to them,” she said.
“They don’t have the information.”
Ms Shwe will outline her concerns to Hobsons Bay City Council this week at a special forum convened to investigate the needs of new and emerging communities in the area.
Ms Shwe arrived in Australia as a refugee 10 years ago and recently travelled home to a refugee camp on the Thai-Burma border to visit family.
“There were more than 50,000 people and many living in constant fear their houses would be burned down,” she said.
“I saw the suffering of my people and when I came back I had to do something, so now I speak out.”
Hobsons Bay mayor Leigh Hardinge encouraged community groups to attend the forum next week to discuss issues with local agencies and develop strategies to address concerns raised by migrant groups.
“We don’t have all the answers and this will help with our understanding,” he said.
“There is a need to make sure that council services meet their requirements.”
Ms Shwe said Karen refugees were still being harassed in the streets and there needed to be more understanding in the community.
“I took some refugees to the doctor and because they didn’t understand what was being said, the doctor would treat them really bad and was not patient with them,” she said.
“Hopefully if more people know about the issues faced by refugees, we will find better ways to help and Karen people will have a better chance for a life in Australia.”
Also speaking at the forum will be African Women’s Association spokeswoman Joice Savia, the Westgate Migrant Resource Centre’s David Lukudu and Sudanese community representative Martha Gaba.
It will be held at Louis Joel Arts and Community Centre, 5 Sargood St, Altona from 8.45am to 1.30pm on 28 March.
