You're caught, you can't go forward, you can't go back and you feel like you're just forgotten
- Former refugee
Daily guided tours in Albury over the next week will offer a glimpse into the life of those forced to escape their country.
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The Refugee Experience will see Border people with a refugee background leading groups through six stops and hands-on explanations to increase awareness and understanding.
Part of Refugee Week (June 16-22), the free tours will open with an event at noon on Sunday, June 16, in Albury Library Museum that includes food and entertainment.
Many of the 18 tour timeslots over the week are already booked out.
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Albury Wodonga Volunteer Resource Bureau multicultural settlement worker Frank Johnson said the tours ended at Retro Youth Cafe with a tent and bamboo hut similar to those found in refugee camps.
The project aimed to highlight the impact of refugees' experiences, such as facing civil conflict, discrimination and violence.
"Having to flee, sometimes in the middle of the night, walking across five or six countries trying to seek a safe place," Mr Johnson said.
The challenges did not end there as refugee camps could be dangerous places and the administrative process moved slowly.
One Border man who lived 14 years in a Kenyan camp noted how a life could feel useless in that situation.
"You're caught, you can't go forward, you can't go back and you feel like you're just forgotten," he said.
The Refugee Experience free tours can be booked at trybooking.com/bdash.
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