We originally signed the Refugee Welcome Zone Declaration in June 2002.
Victoria has the largest refugee intake and highest numbers of asylum seekers in Australia.
The City of Melbourne has a small settlement rate of people arriving through the
Humanitarian program, however many people visit the city to access services like the Red Cross and Department of Social Services during their settlement program.
Cultural Diversity Statement
With over 50 per cent of our residents born overseas and speaking a language other than English at home, City of Melbourne is the second most diverse local government area in Victoria behind the City of Greater Dandenong.
Our Cultural Diversity Statement acts as an overarching framework to guide the way we develop policy, programs and services. It ensures a coordinated ‘whole of Council’ approach for how the City of Melbourne supports the evolving needs of our culturally, linguistically and religiously diverse community.
The City of Melbourne:
- acknowledges the contribution that refugees and asylum seekers make to our community
- celebrates cultural diversity in all its forms through a range of public programs and initiatives that continue to promote community harmony
- says ‘No to Racism’ and does not tolerate discrimination
- supports processes that encourage citizenship amongst people from culturally and linguistically diverse communities
- funds and delivers a range of culturally specific services, programs and events
- seeks to reflect the cultural diversity of the community we serve.