Council to mark Refugee Week 2022 with a Citizenship Ceremony

Published on 17 June 2022

Council will mark this year’s national Refugee Week with a citizenship ceremony to help highlight Leeton Shire’s strong spirit of inclusiveness.  

Nine conferees from Afghanistan, Pakistan, India and Taiwan will become Australian citizens at a ceremony at the Leeton Shire Council Chambers at 2pm on Friday 24 June 2022.  

Mayor Cr Tony Reneker said it is important that we recognise our unique, diverse society and create a culture of welcome. 

"Refugee Week is a wonderful opportunity to host a citizenship ceremony to celebrate our rich multicultural heritage, strengthen our collective sense of belonging and welcome our newest citizens," he said.  

“This citizenship ceremony will help serve as a reminder to our community that our cultural diversity is one of our greatest assets and we are stronger because of it.” 

Refugee Week, a celebration of the positive contributions made by refugees to Australian society, will be held from Sunday 19 to Saturday 25 June this year, with World Refugee Day falling on Monday 20 June 2022. 

The purpose of Refugee Week is to educate the public about refugees, to highlight aspects of the refugee experience and to help the broader community understand what it is like to be a refugee. 

The ultimate aim of the celebration is to create better understanding between different communities and to encourage successful integration enabling refugees to live in safety and to continue making a valuable contribution to Australia. 

In the years since the end of World War II, Australia has accepted more than 930,000 refugees and humanitarian entrants and continues to maintain one of the world’s most generous humanitarian programs. 

“As Australians we can all be proud of our nation’s commitment to providing a safe home to people whose lives were in crisis,” said Mayor Reneker.