When Amira Muminović came to Australia with her husband and a four-year-old daughter in 1996, she could not speak a single word in English. Back then, she was thankful for coming to an organized society after war events in B&H, but she had to start her life anew.
“When I came here, the relevant institutions conducted an assessment of my abilities, where it was stated that I absolutely have no knowledge of English language,” Muminović said.
Amira added that this posed a huge problem for her, because she felt lost in the Australian society. She was persistent and she started learning English language. Among other things, thanks to that as well she started a life in Melbourne and bought a house.
Muminović is just one of many people who encountered numerous problems upon arriving to a new country.
Experiences of Bosnians and Herzegovinians today help the Australian authorities to find out which is the best way for the refugees to adapt to the new society.
The majority of refugees who participated in this research pointed out that the lack of knowledge of the language poses a great problem, as well as the lack of help in the local community. Many of them said they would like to bring other members of their family to Australia.
This study will help the Australian authorities to create better rules and reach decision which will help the refugees more than it was the case so far.
According to Skynews.com.au, Australia received 12,000 Syrian refugees in the past period.
(Source: klix.ba)