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Byron Shire
November 9, 2026

Address from national refugee leader

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Romy Vitalien. Supplied

Anyone interested in helping settle refugees in our region is invited to hear an address on November 7 by Romy Vitalien, director of the national program for refugee sponsorship in Australia.

Romy represents the Community Refugee Integration and Settlement Program (CRISP) and will be the guest of Northern Rivers for Refugees (NRFR) at Tintenbar Hall on 7 November.

NRFR has already helped settle nearly 50 refugees in our region and is hoping to establish more Community Supporter Groups to welcome families approved for settlement by the Australian government.

NRFR provides financial support and guidance for Community Supporter Groups.

Big picture

Romy Vitalien has spent more than a decade working in refugee settlement, leading a range of government, philanthropic and participant-funded programs.

She says she’s excited to be travelling to a region which is seen as a national role model for welcoming refugees.

Pottsville Refugee Day. File photo

Romy is ‘driven by the sheer joy of welcoming people with refugee experiences to Australia, and the opportunity to harness the enormous contributions that this resilient cohort can offer to Australian society’.

At Tintenbar she will outline how the community program works, and provide a perspective on the big picture of refugee settlement in Australia.

Start time 2.30pm on 7 November at Tintenbar Hall. Drinks and snacks provided.
For more information, contact [email protected].



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