Hundreds of families came together in Mirrabooka last weekend for a family fun day celebrating sport, culture and community. The annual Freedom Cup soccer tournament and Family Fun Day was held at Mirrabooka Regional Open Space on Saturday, drawing large crowds to kick off Refugee Week celebrations.
Celebrating Refugee Stories
The event showcased the power of sport to create unity and connection, with the theme “One Million Stories” reflecting the journeys of refugees in the local community. Alongside the on-field soccer action, attendees enjoyed a free BBQ, information stalls, face-painting, henna, farm animals, children’s activities and diverse cultural performances.
WA and SA Department of Home Affairs Office for Multicultural Affairs regional director Jennelle Horsford described the event as a “wonderful opportunity to celebrate the strength and diversity of the community”.
“The Department of Home Affairs is proud to partner with local organisations and agencies to deliver and participate in this fun local community event, which celebrates unity and inclusion through sport and opportunities to connect with each other,” Ms Horsford said.
Refugee Context
A refugee is someone who has had to flee their homeland involuntarily to avoid war, violence, conflict or persecution. Since 1947, following the arrival of displaced people from post-war Europe, Australia has granted one million humanitarian visas to refugees. Between 2012 and 2022, Australia granted protection or resettlement to 180,073 refugees, representing less than one per cent of all asylum applications made globally. Most of the arrivals in 2022–23 originated from Afghanistan, Iraq, and Myanmar.
The event also featured Australian Border Force detector dogs, adding an educational element to the day’s activities.
