INSTITUTE FOR COMMUNITY, ETHNICITY AND POLICY ALTERNATIVES VICTORIA UNIVERSITY THE RELOCATION PO BOX 14428 MELBOURNE VIC 8001 REGIONAL VICTORIA OFREFUGEESFROM MELBOURNETO THE RELOCATION OF REFUGEES AUSTRALIA FROM MELBOURNE PHONE: +61 3 9919 5478 FAX: +61 3 9919 5479 WWW.VU.EDU.AU/ICEPA TO REGIONAL VICTORIA A COMPARATIVE EVALUATION IN SWAN HILL AND WARRNAMBOOL A REPORT BY: INSTITUTE FOR COMMUNITY, ETHNICITY AND POLICY ALTERNATIVES (ICEPA) DR ROBYN BROADBENT DR MARCELLE CACCIATTOLO MS CATHRYN CARPENTER CRICOS Provider No. 00124K WWW.VU.EDU.AU/ICEPA JUNE 2007 WWW.VU.EDU.AU/ICEPA TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ........................................................................................................iv GLOSSARY OF TERMS.........................................................................................................vi EXECUTIVE SUMMARY.........................................................................................................vii 1. INTRODUCTION .............................................................................................................1 − THE ROLE OF VICHEALTH .......................................................................................4 − HISTORY OF MIGRATION AND SETTLEMENT IN AUSTRALIA ........................................5 − SETTLEMENT NEEDS OF HUMANITARIAN ENTRANTS.................................................6 2. METHODOLOGY............................................................................................................9 − PARTICIPATORY ACTION RESEARCH .......................................................................9 − DATA SETS AND CODING ........................................................................................11 − COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.....................................................................................13 − LIMITATIONS OF THE RESEARCH .............................................................................14 − LITERATURE INFORMING THE RESEARCH METHODOLOGY ........................................15 3. LITERATURE REVIEW....................................................................................................18 − THE REFUGEE JOURNEY ........................................................................................18 − VICHEALTH MENTAL HEALTH FRAMEWORKS ...........................................................20 − RELOCATION LITERATURE ......................................................................................21 − STAGES OF ADJUSTMENT .......................................................................................27 − FACTORS IN A POSITIVE SETTLEMENT EXPERIENCE .................................................29 − SOCIAL INCLUSION ..........................................................................................29 − FREEDOM FROM DISCRIMINATION AND VIOLENCE ..............................................30 − ACCESS TO ECONOMIC RESOURCES ................................................................31 4. THE SWAN HILL AND WARRNAMBOOL RELOCATION PROGRAMS: PROJECT BACKGROUND AND DATA .............................................................................................32 − INTRODUCTION TO SWAN HILL ................................................................................34 − REFUGEE RELOCATION IN SWAN HILL .....................................................................36 − PROJECT BACKGROUND............................................................................36 − A HOLISTIC COMMUNITY BUILDING PROGRAM ............................................37 − THE RELOCATION PROGRAM .....................................................................37 − INTRODUCTION TO WARRNAMBOOL.........................................................................39 − REFUGEE RELOCATION IN WARRNAMBOOL..............................................................40 − PROJECT BACKGROUND............................................................................40 − THE RELOCATION PACKAGE ......................................................................42 − COMMITMENT BY FAMILIES ........................................................................42 − RELOCATION DATA: SWAN HILL AND WARRNAMBOOL ..............................................43 − SWAN HILL JULY 2003 – DECEMBER 2004.................................................43 − SWAN HILL DECEMBER 2004 – OCTOBER 2005 .........................................46 − WARRNAMBOOL JULY 2003 – DECEMBER 2004 .........................................49 − WARRNAMBOOL DECEMBER 2004 – OCTOBER 2005..................................50 − COMPARING THE SWAN HILL AND WARRNAMBOOL DATA..........................................54 5. THE COMPONENTS OF SUCCESSFUL RELOCATION.........................................................58 − PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN HOST COMMUNITIES, THE REFUGEE COMMUNITY AND THEIR ADVOCATES ..........................................................................................................58 − FUNDING ADVOCATES: THE HORN OF AFRICA COMMUNITY NETWORK/SUDANESE IN WARRNAMBOOL NETWORK.....................................................................................59 − LOCAL GOVERNMENTS AS THE DRIVERS OF RELOCATION ........................................60 − RELOCATION PROGRAM UNDERPINNED BY COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PRINCIPLES .61 − A CRITICAL MASS OF REFUGEES ............................................................................62 i − PLANNING FOR HOUSING DEMAND AND PROVIDING DIVERSITY OF HOUSING OPTIONS ...............................................................................................................62 − COMMUNITY PLANNING AND IMPLEMENTATION OF A REFUGEE RELOCATION PROGRAM .............................................................................................................65 − FINANCIAL SUPPORT FOR RELOCATION OF THE REFUGEE COMMUNITY .....................67 − ESTABLISHING AN ANCHOR COMMUNITY .................................................................68 − AVOIDING RELOCATION IN STAGES OVER LONGER PERIODS OF TIME AND FUNDING RELOCATION COST ................................................................................................72 − ALLOWING AND PLANNING FOR ONGOING GROWTH .................................................73 − ENGAGE FAMILIES..................................................................................................74 − LONG-TERM SUSTAINABILITY AND BETTER LIVES FOR REFUGEES ............................75 − SUSTAINABLE EMPLOYMENT WITH CAREER PATHWAYS AND PROPER RIGHTS ...........75 − EMPLOYERS MUST BE STAKEHOLDERS AND SUPPORTERS.......................................79 − SUPPORT HOST COMMUNITY VOLUNTEERS.............................................................83 − ESTABLISHING PARTNERSHIPS WITH KEY HOST COMMUNITY ORGANISATIONS ..........84 − FLEXIBILITY IN GOVERNMENT FUNDING AND FINANCIAL SUPPORT FOR COMMUNITIES AND PARTNERSHIPS TO BUILD CAPACITY TO SUPPORT THE REFUGEES ............................................................................................................84 − CREATING A SOCIAL INCLUSIVE ENVIRONMENT THROUGH A RANGE OF COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES.............................................................................................................88 − PROMOTION OF CULTURAL FORUMS, COMMUNITY READINESS AND CULTURAL APPRECIATION.......................................................................................................91 − CELEBRATE DIVERSITY ..........................................................................................92 − ENSURING FREEDOM FROM DIVERSITY ...................................................................93 − INTEGRATING CHILDREN.........................................................................................95 − HOST COMMUNITY READINESS ...............................................................................97 6. CONCLUSION: LEARNINGS AND POLICY CONSIDERATIONS .............................................100 − WHAT HAVE WE LEARNT FROM THESE COMMUNITIES?...........................................101 − POLICY CONSIDERATIONS ......................................................................................103 − SUMMING UP .........................................................................................................106 7. BIBLIOGRAPHY.............................................................................................................108 8. APPENDICES .......................................................................................................................... 113 ii DIAGRAMS DIAGRAM 1: FINAL EVALUATION OF MIGRANT RELOCATION PROGRAMS IN RURAL AND REGIONAL VICTORIA ......................................................................................10 TABLES TABLE 1: SWAN HILL REGION – EMPLOYMENT ...............................................................36 TABLE 2: WARRNAMBOOL REGION – EMPLOYMENT ........................................................40 TABLE 3: SWAN HILL PARTICIPANTS 2003/4 – COUNTRY OF ORIGIN ...............................43 TABLE 4: SWAN HILL PARTICIPANTS 2003/4 – EMPLOYMENT STATUS .............................44 TABLE 5: SWAN HILL PARTICIPANTS 2003/4 – PLACEMENTS...........................................44 TABLE 6: SWAN HILL PARTICIPANTS 2003/4 – JOB PLACEMENTS....................................45 TABLE 7: SWAN HILL PARTICIPANTS 2005 – NUMBER OF PEOPLE ...................................46 TABLE 8: SWAN HILL PARTICIPANTS 2005 – COUNTRY OF ORIGIN ..................................47 TABLE 9: SWAN HILL