It’s important to look past the fear-mongering around migrants and refugees and embrace the benefits of a diverse and multicultural society, says Sonia di Mezza. 

“There’s a fear that we are just going to be overrun with refugees in this country, and that is not one based on reality,” says the new CEO of Migrant and Refugee Settlement Services (MARSS), a government funded, not-for-profit migrant and refugee support organisation based in Civic and Gungahlin. 

“Home Affairs takes [around] 18,000 [refugees] every year, some of them people who have already applied from Australia, and some people who are in camp; 18,000 is not huge, it is a very small part of the overall migration program.

“The second [fear] is that they’re taking the jobs, they’re making life more difficult. 

“If anything, I believe that our refugee and migrant communities make an important contribution to the economy of Australia. 

“They also bring a real diversity, which is a strength and asset for Australia.”

After eight months as the interim CEO, the now permanently appointed Sonia says her goal is to continue creating a supportive environment where people feel that they belong and are accepted.

“I am driven by my passion and commitment to make a positive difference in the lives of people who we support, so that they feel like they belong and can be the directors of their own lives,” says Sonia. 

Sonia, who is Australian born to Italian parents, says her own experience with having to embrace two cultural worlds helps her to understand the people she is working to assist on a deeper level.

“I spent all of my childhood and youth navigating two different cultures, and there were obviously some wonderful aspects of that, having a culture to enjoy and share and celebrate, and there were tough times, too,” she says.

“Sometimes in my childhood we faced racism, and they were challenging times. 

“But all of that really helped me when I was working overseas with people from diverse backgrounds, to be able to understand the person in front of me and to understand their cultural context and to be able to work effectively and advocate for their rights.”

Sonia’s passion for advocacy is evident, her office filled with art, posters, and memorabilia of past postings, which includes 11 years as a human rights lawyer and solicitor, and resettlement consultant in Sudan, Lebanon, India and Pakistan.

She also spent four years working as a refugee lawyer representing asylum seekers in immigration detention centres across Australia, held the role deputy CEO of ACT Disability, Aged and Carer Advocacy Service for eight years, and was, for a time, the CEO of ACT Domestic Violence Crisis Service.

Although she does not represent clients on an individual basis at MARSS, she does have regular interactions with members of Canberra’s multicultural communities and says Canberra can be a bit of a culture shock.

“Canberra is particularly cold and if the person comes from a very hot country, it can be difficult to experience in your first year living here, until you get used to it,” she says.

“Housing is a huge need of our migrant and refugee communities, and is hard to come by given the current housing crisis throughout Australia. 

“Learning English and finding employment, as well as navigating government agencies such as Centrelink are other big challenges for our clients.

“People come from diverse backgrounds, from difficult and problematic contexts, and people just need some understanding and support so […] they can settle successfully into Australia, whether they be migrants or refugees.”

Before MARSS, Sonia spent three years as the CEO of Loddon Campaspe Multicultural Services in Bendigo and says she is happy to bring what she learnt to Canberra, where she has lived since 2011.

“Supporting people from refugee and migrant communities has been a passion of mine for 25 years,” she says.

“It is important that everyone, no matter what their background, is able to belong, participate and enjoy their rights.”