By Ewen McRae
A large majority of migrants and refugees new to Australia plan to become citizens and feel it is important to mark Australia Day, according to a new survey.
The survey of 150 new migrants and refugees, commissioned by refugee and migrant agency AMES Australia, also found curiosity on the part of recent arrivals about Australia’s history
The survey asked ‘Is a national day such as Australia Day important for the nation?’ Seventy-seven per cent of respondents said ‘yes’ while just 10 per cent said ‘no’.
An overwhelming 89 per cent of respondents said they planned to become Australian citizens.
AMES Australia chief executive Cath Scarth said results showed that migrants and refugees were overwhelmingly committed to becoming Australians and contributing to the nation.
“It’s our experience that almost without exception people who are newly arrived to Australia want to fit in,” Ms Scarth said.
“They want to learn about Australia’s culture and history.”
The survey found 82 per cent of respondents said they knew, or planned to learn more, about Australia’s history and the reasons Australia Day is celebrated, while 10 per cent said they did not.
The survey also found Australia Day events and the publicity around the day helped new arrivals feel welcome.
