Residents of Diggers Rest, a town of about 2,500 people 30 kilometres from Melbourne, learned through a newspaper article that a number of unaccompanied child asylum seekers were to move into their neighbourhood. The revelation led to various concerns and a community meeting was called; 60 residents attended. The residents’ initial concern – similar to that expressed by many in Woodside in the Adelaide Hills, where 400 asylum seekers were relocated in December – was the lack of information.
The Diggers Rest locals say they were not told how many asylum seeker children were set to move to the community. They also feared that the children would, in time, bring their families to the town and that the incoming residents would put a strain on community resources. In the end, the eight unaccompanied minors did not move into Diggers Rest.
Residents of Diggers Rest talk about their concerns about the prospect of child asylum seekers moving into their community.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/events/castaway-kids/