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"Each of them has their own story": Meet the refugees of Kilcoy

Since 2013, sixteen Bangladeshi men who fled their home country and arrived in Australia illegally by boat have been calling the town of Kilcoy in rural Queensland home.

"They came by boat on a perilous journey really ... they were escaping being tortured or being killed in Bangladesh," says local Veronica 'Ronnie' Webster.

"Each of them has their own story but overall that's why they had to leave and it was a journey you would not take unless you were terrified of what you were leaving behind...

"Kilcoy's a very welcoming town in my view."

A township of 1,300 people, Doctor Mark Weller - Medical Superintendent of Kilcoy Hospital and Kilcoy Medical Centre - says the Bangladeshi boys have "engrained" themselves in the local community as an "easy-going group of men".

"They are so enthusiastic, they’ve gone to the Pony Club, they have gone to help set up for our show, they have been part of setting up our street celebrations at Christmas and taking them down," he says.

"We can’t get our locals to do that. So they come as a group and offer their services and they have just engrained themselves in all aspects of our society and we're all very fond of them.

"They are indeed good-natured people. I have been probably humbled by how much (more) effort they put into the community than all of us."

Refugees
Source: The Feed

After three years in Australia, the Bangladeshi refugees have had their visas reviewed.

Some have been rejected, others are in limbo waiting to find out if they can stay and work in Australia or if they will be sent back to Bangladesh.

"It is a small, quiet place and very natural," says Mohammad Nahid Hasan.

"I like this place because I get some really good friends in here and I love them."

The sixteen men have been working at the local abattoir and brought an unexpected sense of community to the small town.

The people of Kilcoy are doing everything they can to stop them being sent back to Bangladesh.

Look they have been an asset to the community," says Mayor Graeme Lehmann.

"They’ve actually worked at The Meat Works abattoirs and they have been well respected there. They’ve been good workers.

"I know that some of those people have now had their work visas cancelled and they’d rather be working and the people that they were working for would rather that they were working there too.

"So it’s just a shame that that has happened and, you know, I'm hoping that there will be a positive outcome."

The Immigration Minister, Peter Dutton, was not available for comment and the Department of Immigration and Border Protection said it was "inappropriate for the Department to comment on or discuss individual cases".

Refugees
Source: The Feed

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By SBS Staff

Source: The Feed



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