Refugees urged to see opportunities on Nauru

Transcript

Several refugees resettled on Nauru have started businesses and are using their skills in the community, according to the new contractors assisting with resettlement.

About 400 asylum seekers have so far gained refugee status on Nauru under Australia's offshore processing policy and released from detention camps on the island into the community.

Belinda McLennan of the Australia-based resettlement agency Ames aims told Sally Round the resettlement challenges on Nauru are similar to those in Australia.

BELINDA MCLENNAN: What we find is that people who are going into a settlement situation are very aspirational about their future. They want to be able to feel settled, they want to be able to contribute back to their community. They sometimes need a bit of help in the early stages in terms of orientating themselves to community. And so from that point of view there's a lot of similarities with the work we've done. Obviously there's a local contextual issue that we need to make sure that they're familiar with and have some strategies to deal with. Like for example issues of water and issues of access to health services and those sorts of things on Nauru. And particularly sensitising them to local cultural traditions and being respectful of the local community. And likewise working with Nauran community, to see that there are a lot of opportunities in having new people coming into their community and that there's a chance for them to build a shared future. Which you know comes about as a result of increased opportunities and a larger population.

SALLY ROUND: But surely in the case of Nauru the refugees there, don't really want to be there, they want to be in Australia. So this is presenting a particular challenge for you?

BM: Umm, I think that what we find with all of our clients, and those that are in Nauru obviously they're no different, is that they have aspirations that are borne out of not wanting to be where they came from. And so part of our role is in  working with them to see the opportunities that their current situation presents them with.

SR: So what would that be there on the island? How are you making them feel optimistic?

BM: Well in terms of seeing that there are opportunities for employment. That they can build their own businesses for example. We've had a couple of our clients already start their own businesses one the island. That some of the skills and qualifications that they have from their previous country that they can apply them in a new context. So for example one of the clients on the island is beginning to do some work in the schools based on their previous experience. We have people who have quite a lot of professional skills in areas like accounting, engineering, I think there's a dental assistant, so there's a number of people who can contribute very positively to the Nauruan community. And so there's an emphasis in the way that we do our work on building on the situation to create some opportunities into the future, and thereby people feeling like this is a positive experience.

SR: There have been reports that the refugees aren't welcome, that they've been the target of violence, what do you know about that and will you be addressing that in any way?

BM: I understand there's been some isolated incidents around some violence. Umm, and that is not an unusual occurrence. The same thing happens in some of our Australian communities and it's essentially around people adjusting to newcomers in their community and those newcomers understanding the mores of the community that they are joining. So part of our role and a very important part of our role, is working with the local communities, working with our clients and working with the Nauruan government to facilitate opportunities where people get to know each other. And we find that once people get to know each other, some of those concerns that they might have had about, you know, these unknown people, start to be broken down and friendships start to develop and mutual respect and recognition takes over. I have to say though that I think from our limited experience at this stage, the episodes of violence that have been portrayed in the media, while they're real, are isolated. And generally the Nauruan community is a very welcoming community and a very generous one.