MANILA (Sputnik), Anastasia Levchenko – Australia should shoulder the burden with the rest of the world and Europe in particular and accept more migrants from the Middle East, Lord Mayor of Melbourne Robert Doyle told Sputnik.
Australia has pledged to take in 12,000 Syrian refugees before Christmas, lending a helping hand to Europe, struggling with migrant crisis.
"This is quite a large number for us… It is quite a costly exercise, but I think that we should react and bring people in. I would be very disappointed if Australia didn’t do its share in shouldering this burden," the official said.
Then-Prime Minister Tony Abbott announced the resettlement of the extra Syrian refugees in September. His government has been repeatedly criticized by the international community over the treatment of asylum seekers arriving on Australian shores in search of refuge.
"This would bring a very large Syrian population. So it will be upon us as the city to work hard… to make sure that they feel very much at home, that they are connected to the services they need in Australia, and that they feel that they are part of our community," Doyle said.
He added that it would be up to a network from civil community to work with refugees, engaging them in social activities and thus helping their integration.
Then-Prime Minister Tony Abbott announced the resettlement of the extra Syrian refugees in September. His government has been repeatedly criticized by the international community over the treatment of asylum seekers arriving on Australian shores in search of refuge.
