Smart Resettlement: A Refugee Success Story from Rural Australia

Title: Smart Resettlement: A Refugee Success Story from Rural Australia

Type: Article (blog)

Location: Nhill, Australia

Source: Lindau Nobel Laureate Meetings(Website)

Date: August 22, 2017.

The article titled “Smart Resettlement: A Refugee Success Story from Rural Australia” by David Smerdon is based on refugee success story from the town of Nhill in rural Australia. Refugees first arrived in the town to work in the local factory. At present, the town is home to about 200 refugees, who have played key role behind a net gain of more than AU $ 42 million over a four-year period.

The author argues that the example of Nhill shows that hosting refugees can be less about minimizing burdens and more about cultivating benefits, if the resettlement programs are ‘smart’. The success story of Nhill shows that smarter resettlement programs in small towns can bring in economic and social benefits for both locals and migrants, unlike in big cities where the refugees may face economic problems due to lack of employment opportunities. The refugee community in Nhill, apart from economic benefits to the host town, has also brought in cultural diversity, in forms of events such as the colorful celebration of the Burmese New Year.

The summary was created from an article found on Lindau Nobel website. Follow this link for more details.