SURVEY: SIGNIFICANT NEEDS WITHIN THE LATIN-AMERICAN COMMUNITY OF MELBOURNE.

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1 SURVEY: SIGNIFICANT NEEDS WITHIN THE LATIN-AMERICAN COMMUNITY OF MELBOURNE. Refuge of Hope is a non- profit organisation that has been established with the support of the Scanlon Foundation. Our mission is to assist the wellbeing of immigrants, refugees and international students from Latin America living in Melbourne. Refuge of Hope conducted an online survey from Monday 10 th to Sunday 16 th of August. The survey focused on people from Melbourne s Latin- American community who were living independently in Melbourne under the following visa conditions - migrants, citizens, permanent residents and international students. The aim was to determine their perceptions of living in Melbourne and their experience of settlement. In total, 213 people participated in the survey (13 Australian citizens, 20 people with permanent residence and 180 international students). Of those people surveyed, 66% (1 people) have finished undergraduate studies, followed by 25% (52 people) who have postgraduate courses (Diplomas and Master degrees); the rest of them (21 people) have finished high school and technical studies. The international students included 78 studying English, 53 diploma or certificate level and 49 postgraduate/ master courses and PHD students. Socio-demographic information Of the 213 people who participated in the survey, 76% (157) were females and 24% (56) males. Most were young adults aged 18 to 30 years old (138 people), followed by students between 30 to years old (70 people) and 5 people older than years old. Most of the participants were from Colombia (72%), followed by Venezuela (16%), Chile, Mexico and Peru (Figure 1). Venezuela, 34 Chile, 11 México, 8 Perú, 5 Ecuador, 1 Colombia, 152 Figure 1. Country of Origin - Migrants from Latin America

2 Regarding the length of time that participants have been living in Australia, most of them have been less than 2 years, as it is shown in Figure Less than a month From 1 to 6 months From 6 months to 1 year From 1 to 2 years From 2 to 5 years More than 5 years Figure 2. Time in Australia - Migrants from Latin America Level of Adaptation Perceived In the survey, we asked the participants to rate the level of adaption and experience across different aspects of settlement and living in Melbourne. (Subjective scale: 1 negative and 5 positive). In general terms, the Latin American people perceived the overall experience of living in Australia as positive, including their personal safety and social life. The cost of studies, public transport and job opportunities were some of the aspects rated as negative. For detailed information see the Table 1. Table 1. Level of adaption perceived for the Latin American migrants International Students Overall experience Accommodation costs Studies costs Transport costs Living expenses Job opportunities Access to health services Personal safety Social life Mood variability Participation in cultural and leisure activities

3 Difficulties Experienced in the Settlement Process Another point assessed in the survey was the three most difficult aspects of living in Australia, as perceived by the Latin American people. Principal issues identified were: the cost of living in comparison with the Latin American countries; being away from family and friends and the learning process of English as a second language (Figure 3) Living cost New language Change in social status Loneliness Cultural differences Other Changes in physical safety and integrity Differences in landscapes and places Loss of contact with ethnic group Figure 3. Aspects of Living in Australia. Options in Times of Difficulties Being away from home and facing difficult times can be a trigger for mental health issues and may impact the general wellbeing of people. In the survey, people were asked which option they would use in times of difficulty. Most of them choose family and friends in Australia and their home country as you can see in the Figure 4. Also, it is evident that organisations and foundations play a significant role in providing crisis support for Latin- American people.

4 Family and friends in Australia Family and friends in their home country Organisations or foundations Spiritual guide Internet Professional help They do not look for help Other Figure 4. Options used in times of difficulties Access to information The aim of the last question of the survey was to determine how Latin- American people access information about different services in Melbourne. The best service in terms of the subjective perception was the cultural spaces offered in Melbourne and the services with lower scores related to information about job opportunities and benefits for migrants. Table 2. Assessment of access to information about different services Accommodation (types and offer) Job opportunities Food Transport and mobility Migration and visa information Cultural spaces Academic offer Migrants benefits Religious spaces Mental, physical and emotional health Emergency and crisis information

5 Conclusion In general terms, we have seen a significant increase in the number people living in Melbourne from Latin- American countries. A growing proportion of people are international students. In some cases, the general level of English when they first arrive in Melbourne is very low. This is a significant disadvantage for them in comparison to other international students from European and Asian countries, where English is taught as part of their mainstream education. Another significant aspect for Latin- American students is the unrealistic expectations about cost of living in Melbourne. When they arrive, many are shocked when faced with the actual living costs including accommodation, transport, groceries and other expenses. Some of them come with the expectation that they will get a job in the first few weeks; however they find it very difficult to get a job due to their level of English and also the unemployment rates. Many face situations of exploitation in their jobs and struggle with the low level of income. This affects their general wellbeing and ability to overcome real living costs, dragging their focus away from their study and positive engagement in the community. Our experience is that there are many real and concerning needs within the Latin American international student community that are often overlooked and misunderstood. In many ways they are vulnerable pursuing a dream, an opportunity that is based on inaccurate information and limited community and family support. Unlike many other international student groups such as those from Asia, Latin American students do not have the benefit of financial support from family, provision/purchase of accommodation by family and extended family living in Melbourne to facilitate the settlement process. Many Latin American students arrive alone facilitated by international student businesses that do not provide settlement support and a true picture of the life of a student in Melbourne.

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