Establishing a new home
The St Vincent de Paul Society has a long history of helping asylum seekers and refugees settle in Australia beginning with Archbishop Carr of Melbourne inviting the Society, in 1910, to welcome newly-arrived immigrants at the Port of Melbourne.
In 1952, with the arrival of thousands of displaced people from Europe, the Society established a migrant information centre and hostel accommodation. Our members visited people in the hostels and their homes as well as helping to settle thousands of refugees after the Vietnam war.
Since that time, the Society has re-established its commitment to assisting people seeking a safe haven in a new country following after facing unique issues and circumstances.
“I was a stranger and you welcomed me.”
Definitions
Asylum Seeker
An Asylum Seeker is a person who is seeking protection as a refugee but whose claim has not yet been finally decided.
Refugee
A Refugee is a person who has fled their country of origin and is unable or unwilling to return because of a well-founded fear of persecution.