RESETTLEMENT IN AUSTRALIA FROM IRAQ

This material comes from an interview on July 11, 2008 with Ashur Isaac, of the Assyrian Resource Centre in Fairfield, Sydney and provides insights into the challenges faced by new settlers to Australia. In Iraq the Assyrians are a Christian minority and many have fled the turmoil there. Ashur’s full contact details and web references are provided at the end of this material.

One woman in her later 50s was ill for sometime but continued to work to late 2007 to support her family in Iraq and also living as refugees outside Iraq. She was eventually diagnosed with cancer and now has had treatment. Common for Assyrians and Iraqis generally in Australia to send money to support families in Iraq and refugees in neighbouring countries. Some Muslim groups target Assyrians for money.

Many Assyrians are well-educated , with Masters or PhDs. Many don’t have them recognised in Australia or it is hard financially to be able to do further study to get them recognised, due to having to support family overseas. For example, one man has a zoology degree and worked in Iraq but has a problem getting work due to his age. So he is considering returning to Iraq.

One woman, with a Masters in Economics in Iraq, is a volunteer at the Assyrian Resource Centre, filling out forms and helping do tax returns for others. Often people have to work in factories, which provides money but satisfaction is less.

Travel loans needed: Issues include that those identified and resettled in Australia under the strict "refugees" part of the Refugee and Special Humanitarian Program (RSHP) category have costs, eg travel, met and are given a settlement grant and 510 hours of English as a Second Language (ESL) or, if young, have school intensive language classes. However, those accepted under the Special Humanitarian Program section of the Australian resettlement scheme have to pay their own travel expenses.

Language barrier: Ashur believes this is the biggest barrier to resettlement. Without good language it is hard to access mainstream services – jobs, housing, public transport – most Assyrians tend to settle in business areas with ease of services, eg Auburn, Fairfield in Sydney.

For young people, the English language barrier has the worst effect because you have opportunities when young but if you struggle academically and don’t perform well in school you are disadvantaged. It is a struggle if you can’t make progress in the one year English as a Second Language (ESL) intensive course. If you struggle you may face suspension or expulsion. If youth can get jobs they are menial so tend to then be unemployed for a longer-term. With spare time youth may get into trouble with police due to risk-taking in recreation.

Young people need the English language but being able to also put it into practice. Ashur would like subsidised internet connection, with child safety screen materials, into refugees’ homes.

Accommodation pressures: Over the last three years (2005-2008) there has been a considerable increase in the cost of living which has put more pressure on refugees. So they are vulnerable to exploitation . Landlords may not follow up on basic repairs. Refugees are fearful to push tenancy rights and may be asked to leave due to rising rents as on lower incomes they cannot afford the increases.

Recreational activities: For youth outside school hours are needed but often they are not available or accessible, eg due to need of public transport.

The Assyrian community is very largely a refugee community. While some migrated freely to Australia for a freer environment, since the 1960s most have been refugees. However, the community is resilient and many succeeded well. In Sydney the Assyrian Church of the East (ACE) has four parishes, two church buildings, three club buildings, hundreds of groups and has plans to develop an aged care centre. The ACE has one private primary school-open to all Assyrians ( all religious sub-groups) and now is building a private high school. It has two Saturday language schools, a matriculation fund, which has given over $100,000 in its existence, an association to support senior students, a National Federation and groups for seniors, eg patron saints.

There are active communities. Most Assyrians speak a minimum of three languages. Some speak 5 or 6. One 16 year old girl can speak and is learning five languages due to displacement. The community holds education in high regard. Assyrians are on the local Fairfield council, which has local Mayor and a MP in the NSW Parliament. There are Assyrian businesses around Fairfield.

The community gives a lot of its own funds to community work. It is generous, self-organised and has succeeded and prospered. Assyrians love their nationality and Christian religion and integrate really well in different countries.

Ashur’s areas of work are: Case work; Community Development and Community Education. He is funded by the Federal Government’s Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC).

Ashur helps clients: eg, with references, links to services, shows them educational opportunities, accompanies them to services and provides counselling. This is case work - intensive over some time to address needs but really needs more staff, including for women and youth specific job descriptions. Ashur is officially employed for youth work. Such positions could be ethno-specific services or via other government departments. The Arabic and Vietnamese –speaking communities ( in the Fairfield area) have these but Assyrians lack them.

Ashur suggests that for a service that wants to support a certain group, that service needs to be culturally sensitive (eg have the same background) but also be trained to best practice. Ashur is working specifically for the Assyrian community and he would like to see increased funding for culture-specific services and resource persons.

Networking: With a variety of services – mainstream and ethno-specific- identifies needs from case workers and therefore looks at services needing development. This encourages links/partnerships between groups, both ethno-specific and general, to help resources flow.

Helping youth in prison: Is an example of community development and education. Ashur organised a youth forum, involving youth leaders such as two young priests from the Assyrian churches. The forum did strategic planning of needs and services. Young prisoners are isolated and disconnected. Ashur enlisted volunteers and trained them to visit prison. The priest has prison visitor accreditation. This initiative provides hope to prisoners and linkages to the community. This provides a support network, involving no shame on release and to provide support and resourcing.

May young people gather around shopping centres – so the Assyrian community works with the police. Ethnic community workers, community leaders and others work and do outreach around shopping centres. A drop-in centre for recreational activities was also developed.

Community Education: Examples include teaching parenting skills and forming women’s empowerment groups. The centre has worked with Anglicare to do this. For women and children the centre targets issues that are important through seminars, group work, radio broadcasts . The Assyrian Resource Centre does this directly or co-facilitates in partnerships. Local church people participate to support people and programs outside work hours, including on weekends.

There is no promised increased government funding: With the increased intake for 2008-09, there is need for a separate women workers’ position they require two and a half positions to cover the three different areas. DIAC is not increasing the funding.

There are complications with funding allocation decisions. For example, concerning languages spoken, Arabic is put rather than Assyrian. Also, Iraq is usually seen as Arabs and Muslims. Before 2003 only 2.7% were Christian, therefore usually funding goes to Moslem-Arabic services. While Ashur would not want reporting by ethnicity, the numbers of Assyrians need to be considered. Centrelink has an Assyrian line, which is needed.

The needs broadly are (1) welfare (2) Seminars- educational information, eg parenting practices, cultural transition ; (3) community development to strengthen Assyrian organisations.

Ashur Isaac: Community Youth Worker

Assyrian Australian Association

Assyrian Resource Centre

7 The Crescent

Fairfield NSW 2165

(PO Box 101, Fairfield NSW 1860)

Phone: 02 9728 2594

Mobile: 0427 362 458

Fax: 02 9723 0897

Website: www.assyrianrc.com

Holy Apostolic Assyrian Church of the East: