Refugee Council of Australia Fact sheet 3. Rarely, however, is there any indication that there is recognition that the two words refer to very different groups of people. No 2, refugees are people who have been forced to leave their countries because they have been persecuted. Some refugees have to flee with no notice, taking with them only the clothes on their backs. Others, like the family that pretends to be going on a weekend break, have to keep their plans a secret from all around them in case they are discovered.
Refugees often have little idea about where they are going.
They are running away, not running to. Those who come to Australia often have scant understanding about our country and the nature of society here. They have had no opportunity to prepare themselves physically or psychologically for their new life in Australia. A significant proportion of refugees have experienced severe trauma. Many have been tortured.