letter to editors - vote or compassion - refugees

letter sent to Bellingen Courier Sun, Nambucca Guardian and Coffs Advocate

_{I am part of a group who advocates for refugees in the Bellingen, Coffs and Nambucca area. You may have seen us standing by the side of the road with our signs supporting refugees.}

 _{Occasionally passers by call out “Send them Home.”  So I have decided to tell you about a certain family of four who are my friends in Sydney who can’t go home to their Middle Eastern country which they left in a hurry in fear of their lives.}

 _{They were in the last boatload of asylum seekers to land on Christmas Island before the government decided to send all boat people to offshore detention.  After six turbulent years of learning a new language, dealing with the trauma of their lives, missing their extended family members left behind and looking for jobs, they are living in Sydney.}

 _{They receive no money from the Government. The sons are settled at school, the father, a former school principal, is working and studying as a tradesman and the mother, a B.Sc graduate,is working in Aged care and continuing her studies.}

 _{They love Australia, They love their work and each month they donate money from their minimal wages to St Vinnies because, as the mother explained to me:}

 _{“ When we were dependent on money from the Government we made a pact with each other that when we had jobs we would give back to Australia.”}

 _{It is people like these, who are still waiting for a permanent visa, that some politicians and passers-by want to: “….send home.” I want people like these to be my neighbours.}

_{Vote for compassion}

_{Margaret Henley}