12,000 extra Syrian refugees allowed to enter Australia must first read and sign handbook on local customs and values

The 12,000 refugees who will be allowed to enter Australian soil soon will be handed a guidebook, which they must read and sign before they are granted visas. The booklet will have information about local customs and the Australian way of life that would help the refugees cope with the cultural gap.

The booklet, “Life In Australia, published by the Department of Immigration and Border Protect,” will have all the necessary particulars and facts about the new country they will be taking refuge in. A statement on the nations’ values, meanings of the local abbreviations and slangs as well as guidelines on how to behave in a public place are all included in the small document.

The booklet reveals the measure of the cultural orientation required for the refugees who will be coming to Australia. Refugees above 18 years will be required to sign a document declaring that they would respect concepts such as freedom and dignity of an individual, equal rights and treatment for women and acknowledging English language as the “unifying element of the Australian Society.”

It will also be explained to refugees that in Australia, the concept of a fair go is predominant, that is, an individual is expected to achieve success through talent, hard work and sheer effort rather than through favouritism or by birth. But this doesn’t by any means imply that everybody has equal wealth and properties. They also need to know that property prices are higher in some places than anywhere else in Australia.

"Understand[ing] how life works in Australia and the expectations of Australian residents are something that refugees are keen to learn more about," the Sydney Morning Herald quoted Settlement Services International humanitarian services manager David Keegan as saying.

The Abbott government on Wednesday announced its decision to allow 12,000 extra Syrian refugees into Australia following demands by political parties as well as cabinet ministers after the plight of the refugees came to the forefront. The current refugee crisis, which is being faced by the European nations, comes as a result of a civil war that broke out in Syria.

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