Refugees settle in the regions

Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce will welcome about 200 asylum seekers from Syria and Iraq into his electorate. \

Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce will welcome about 200 asylum seekers from Syria and Iraq into his electorate under a federal government push to encourage more asylum seekers to settle in the regions.

Mr Joyce said about 200 refugees will be settled in the NSW city of Armidale, about 500km north from Sydney.

Armidale was home to 38,000 people in 2015, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics.

The first of the refugees will move to the town in February next year.

“Armidale is a good fit as a new regional settlement location for humanitarian entrants to Australia,” Mr Joyce said.

“It has a strong, welcoming community demonstrated by the fact that this push for the city to be a settlement location for refugees was driven by the community itself.

“I have absolutely no doubt that Armidale will work closely with the refugees settling here to ensure they can take up all the opportunities available to those who choose to embrace the great lifestyle available in regional Australia.”

The move comes after the federal government settled 250 Yazidis, who survived the Islamic State genocide in Syria, in the regional NSW city of Wagga Wagga.

Social Services Minister Christian Porter said the government was trying to settle refugees outside major cities.

He said Australia’s refugee intake would increase from 16,250 per year to 18,750 by 2019.

“It’s important that through our settlement services we encourage more settlement in regional areas,” Mr Porter said.