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First group of Syrian refugees arrive in Aussie state

Xinhua, November 4, 2016 Adjust font size:

The first group of Syrian refugees, consisting of eight families, arrived in the Australian state of Tasmania on Friday.

A spokesperson for the Tasmanian government said many in the group had professional and vocational skills that would make them able to contribute to Tasmania's economy immediately. They will be offered intensive English language tuition.

Andrea Dawkins, a Member of Parliament (MP) for the Greens Party in Tasmania, said she hoped more Syrian migrants would soon be arriving.

Dawkins said she was disappointed it had taken more than a year for the families to get to Tasmania.

"We were really disappointed when six months had passed and no Syrian refugees had come after that horrible weekend when we saw children washed up on beaches," she said.

Dawkins said the Safe Haven Enterprise Visa (SHEV) system was to blame for the delay in the migrants arriving.

A total of 500 migrants are expected to arrive, and they will more than double Tasmania's existing Syrian population. Endit