Council celebrates ‘World Refugee Week’ at citizenship ceremony

Council celebrated World Refugee Week at their most recent citizenship ceremony held on Thursday, 23 June to acknowledge the positive contributions of our refugee residents and our thriving multicultural region.

There were lots of smiles throughout the ceremony as 26 people pledged to become an Australian citizen.

Shoalhaven City Council Mayor Amanda Findley added, “This year’s theme for Refugee Week is ‘healing’ — we have all been through so much in the past few years, and the importance of human connection is now more important than ever.”

“Both mainstream and refugee communities can take this opportunity to come together, learn from one another, share stories, and heal together to emerge a more fulfilled and connected community.”

“We can all be proud of our commitment to providing a safe home to people whose lives were in crisis,” said Cnr Findley.

Since the end of the Second World War, Australia has accepted more than 930,000 refugees and humanitarian entrants and maintain one of the world’s most generous humanitarian programs.

As Australian citizens, whether by birth or by choice, our Australian citizenship is the common bond that we all share.

View the photos on Council’s Flickr account.

/Public Release. View in full here.