Congolese fleeing horror to Geelong

Andrew Mathieson
REFUGEES from another African war zone are settling in Geelong.
Peak multicultural services provider Diversitat said accepting a quota of 60 migrants from Congo would strengthen the city’s “track record” as Victoria’s refugee hub.
The Congolese will follow hundreds of African refugees who have already fled war in Sundan to settle in Geelong.
Diversitat chief executive Michael Martinez said the latest batch of refugees was “coming straight from Congo” on humanitarian grounds as part of Diversitat’s six-month government contract to settle them in Geelong.
Twenty-six Congolese were living in the city after the first family landed last month.
Mr Martinez said more would arrive in the next fortnight.
“You don’t want to bring just 10 families; you need more to establish a community so they know people,” he said.
A social worker from the Congolese community would travel to Geelong from Melbourne to help the refugees adjust to their new lives.
Mr Martinez said he expected the Congolese to make a smooth social transition into Geelong because the city was well-equipped to handle refugees.
The refugees received health checks on arrival along with transitional housing, English lessons, integration into schools and help finding work.
“There are some towns in Victoria that have had difficulties because you also have to have an accepting community, so I’m quite annoyed at the whole blaming of these migrants for what is really a failure of governments to invest in infrastructure.”
Mr Martinez he said Democratic Republic of Congo expatriates were still suffering from “trauma and torture”.
More than five million people have died in Congo since fighting began in 1998, making it the world’s deadliest conflict since World War Two. The former French colony once known as Zaire has also developed a reputation for widespread rape and sexual violence despite signing of peace accords in 2003.
“That’s the reality these communities have had to deal with, some horrific experiences, and that can’t be underestimated,” Mr Martinez said.