How many lamingtons does it take to get a refugee a plane ticket?
From July 1, the Australian government will give “13 000 places” to refugees. 6000 airfares will be paid for by the government, but the remaining 7000 airfares must be sponsored by an Australian permanent resident or citizen. Most refugees now come from Africa and Sierra Leone, in West Africa, is considered the most disadvantaged of all nations. So when a group of Sydney Northern Beaches’ residents wanted to help refugees, they decided to help the bottom rung first. For the last year, the Northern Beaches Refugee Sanctuary have loaned money to almost 60 Sierrra Leonians, enabling them each to buy the $2000 airfare to Australia. While a lot of energy has been devoted to raising money through raffles, competitions and fundraising drives, members of the refugee sanctuary also provide invaluable advice on how to settle into Australian society – the kind of advice a local friend would give. Taya Fabijanic spoke with David Addington from the Northern Beaches Refugee Sanctuary.