Media release
17 September 2009
For immediate release
Young Australians confirmed as citizens
The Australian High Commission hosted a special citizenship ceremony today for ‘Australian Citizenship Day’ to award citizenship certificates to children living in Papua New Guinea.
10 children aged between 5 weeks and 12 years of age attended the ceremony with their parents and family members to receive their citizenship certificates and recite the Australian Citizenship Affirmation pledge.
The affirmation pledge is based on the Australian Citizenship pledge that is made by all new Australian citizens. Because the children have at least one parent who is an Australian citizen, they are entitled to apply for Australian citizenship.
Australian High Commissioner to PNG, HE Chris Moraitis, who officiated at the ceremony, said their affirmation pledge for Australian citizenship was a powerful symbolic commitment to Australia and their relationship to the Australian community.
“Australian Citizenship Day is a wonderful occasion to formally receive your citizenship certificates and affirm your commitment to Australian citizenship and it gives me great pleasure to see so many people here who wish to do so,” Mr Moraitis said during the ceremony.
“By affirming your Australian citizenship, you are showing that you want to be a part of Australia’s future”.
2009 marks the 60th anniversary of Australian citizenship and in that time more than 4 million people from over 200 countries have become Australian citizens. Today, around 95 per cent of the people living in Australia are Australian citizens.
Mr Moraitis added that he was honoured to officiate at the ceremony and that it was a particularly special occasion since all the recipients were children surrounded by their Australian and Papua New Guinean families.
“Australia’s strength lies in its people. The very diversity of its people and our ability to live harmoniously with one another is prized by Australia”.
The High Commissioner congratulated all of those involved in today’s citizenship ceremony and wished them and their families well in their future endeavours.