KEY POINTS:
SYDNEY - An Australian country town which attracted accusations of racism after rejecting a group of Sudanese refugees for resettlement has reversed its decision and is now likely to accept the African families.
Tamworth in New South Wales has been embroiled in controversy since last month when the town council voted six to three to reject the five Sudanese families.
The mayor, James Treloar, claimed the community was concerned that they might be carrying diseases such as tuberculosis, that they would not respect Australian laws and that their menfolk might sexually harass women. But in a new vote on Tuesday night, councillors voted eight to one to accept the Sudanese as long as the social services they required were provided by local community groups instead of the Immigration Department.
Treloar denied yesterday that he and fellow councillors had been forced into a u-turn by public pressure and intense media attention, including reports on the BBC and al-Jazeera.
He rejected calls to apologise to the 25 Sudanese refugees who already live in Tamworth for making them feel uncomfortable and unwelcome. The Immigration Department will send a delegation to work out the details of the amended resettlement scheme.
