Council becomes a Refugee Welcome Zone

Bayside City Council is now a Refugee Welcome Zone, following the signing of a declaration of commitment by Mayor, Cr Laurence Evans today.

The official signing of the declaration took place during National Refugee Week (17-23 June), in the presence of representatives from the Refugee Council of Australia (RCOA) and Bayside Refugee Advocacy and Support Association.

Bayside City Council Mayor, Cr Laurence Evans said the decision to become a welcome zone reinforced Council’s commitment to welcoming people of all backgrounds into the community.

“We are lucky in Australia, and in Melbourne in particular to have people from a diverse range of countries and cultures,” Cr Evans said.

“By making this declaration, we are publicly committing to support the men, women and children who make the difficult journey to Australia to seek our protection and start a new life here.”

The Refugee Welcome Zone initiative was started by the Refugee Council of Australia (RCOA) in 2002. The RCOA is a national organisation that provides support, policy and education for refugees and the organisations and individuals who support them. 

A Refugee Welcome Zone is a local government area that has made a commitment to welcoming refugees into local communities, upholding the human rights of refugees, demonstrating compassion for refugees and enhancing cultural and religious diversity.

Nearly one hundred and fifty councils across Australia have been declared Refugee Welcome Zones.

The theme of this year’s National Refugee Week is #WithRefugees, demonstrating a need to protect the safety and human rights of refugees across Australia.