A local accommodation provider has offered the old convent in Church Street as a ‘compound style’ solution for housing possible Syrian refugees in Glen Innes.
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Ralph Panebianco said the convent would be able to house more refugees than a single household and by housing them together they would be able to ease into the community.
“My offer is about the best way to help the refugees and to ease the minds of locals about their assimilation into our small community,” he said.
“If they are housed in the one area and they are familiar with their way of life, culture and language they should then be comfortable enough to want to go out and learn about ours.
“The facts from previous immigrants are that they lived in one house or area together, and then they branched out as they were successful in getting jobs and then they went and made their own home, this would be the best way to start Syrian refugees of in Glen.”
Mr Panebianco said having refugees scattered across the region would slow their progress as individuals.
“I see no difference from 1949 to 2016, the same principals apply when you have people coming from another country to this wonderful country, they need family support first then community support,” he said.
Australian Refugee council spokesman Tim O’Connor said this type of offer is one they would encourage, especially if the community is behind it.
“The proposal we have put to the government is to keep family groups together if they migrate to city or rural areas,” he said.
“If the refugees keep their family’s together ABS data proves they usually establish their own businesses.
“They don’t take local jobs, they create them.”
Minister for Social Services, Christian Porter said the extraordinary response says a lot about our nation and its generosity of spirit.
“However, the Department of Social Services takes into account a range of factors, on a case-by-case basis, when deciding on settlement location,” he said.
“There would need to be availability of settlement services, family or community links, availability of mainstream services such as health and education, opportunities for employment.
“There would also be a consideration of the size and ethnic, cultural and religious composition of potential settlement communities and the potential for the harmonious settlement of the specific group.”
