Syrian refugees find peace on the NSW coast

As the evacuation of Syria's devastated city of Aleppo continues, the NSW coastal city of Newcastle has begun resettling families that earlier fled the war-torn country.

Source: SBS

The war-ravaged streets of Aleppo were once lively neighbourhoods home to thousands of families, including the Alanizans.  

Hamid Alanizan said that he, his wife Shaha and their four children fled their Syrian neighbourhood of Hanano because it was virtually uninhabitable.

"You cannot live there, it is death, it's war, very, very hard. Where we used to live, there is no life anymore," Mr Alanizan told SBS.

But now they have a new life in Newcastle, Australia's seventh largest city.

The family re-settled in the coastal city, 160 kilometres north of Sydney, in October.

"We don't want anything but safety.  When I got here, this is what I am feeling the most, beside everything else, I am mostly happy because I feel safe," explained Mr Alanizan.

Since they arrived, Hamid and Shaha have been attending English lessons and orientation sessions to help them with the transition.

Their three eldest children, Ahmad, 14, Mohamad, 12, and Jinan, 9, are enrolled at a local school where they too are learning English. 

Source: SBS

Their youngest son, Kinan, is just one.

Shaha described life in Newcastle to be a world away from the one she and her family left behind.

"Life in Australia is very beautiful, the kids are comfortable, they are learning and we are comfortable," she said.

The family have been granted a permanent visa to live in Australia as part of the federal government's effort to resettle 12,000 people displaced by the wars in Syria and Iraq.

After a slow start, more than 8,000 arrived nationwide. Around 120 have been resettled in Newcastle. 

Newcastle's Lord Mayor, Nuatali Nelmes, said the city is an ideal place for the refugees to settle.

"Newcastle's a beautiful city and we've got a very proud history of being inclusive. I'm very happy we are one of the places designated to take the Syrian refugees,” Ms Nelmes said.

The Hunter region is set to also receive a further 200 refugees under the special humanitarian programme over the next six months.

Ashraf Naddaf from Newcastle's Islamic Association has been assisting the Alanizans and other new arrivals settle into the community.

"You'll see a lot of women wearing the veil, wearing the hijab around shops and people start to realise it's multicultural Newcastle. Let's say [they are] accepting people from different culture,” Mr Naddaf said.

But locals haven't always been so accepting.

At the local mosque two years ago, a worshipper was assaulted at the end of evening prayer. And a week later, a pig's head was thrown into the courtyard.

But Mr Naddaf said the attacks were isolated and there haven't been any since. 

“I would say [there is] a lack of knowledge, some people they were afraid of having new people to the community, he said.

"I don't think there's any problem now.”

The Lord Mayor said the overwhelming majority of people in Newcastle are accepting of different cultures and faiths.

"It was so broadly condemned by the community, Ms Nelmes said.

"I know that from the feedback I got from different multicultural groups, they did appreciate the support of everyone in the community.”

That support came in the form of flowers and a card from locals, a community outreach for its new refugee  members.

The mosque received this card and flowers following the attacks. Source: Supplied

As for the Alanizan family, their experience of Newcastle has been nothing but positive.       

"All people welcome us and they like us, very nice people, starting from our neighbours to the furthest person, that’s what I saw. I only saw a good welcome. I did not see any negative things," Mr Alanizan said.