By Hương Lan, 7 April 2026
Read and listen to the full article in Vietnamese HERE.
Translated from Vietnamese to English below using Google Translate.
Huy Tran: the story of immigration and the ongoing journey of helping others
Seven days adrift at sea, facing pirates, lacking water and food, that was the journey that Huy Trần’s family went through to find a way to survive before setting foot in Australia. From a refugee child growing up in Perth, today Huy and his wife are continuing a meaningful circle: supporting newly arrived refugee families to start a new life through the CRISP program.
Huy Trần came to Australia before turning two years old, so he almost has no memories of the trip. The fragmented memories he has only come from relatives, especially his uncle, who directly organised the escape trip.
But it was precisely that journey, along with the help his family once received, that became the motivation for him today to support new refugees through the Community Refugee Integration and Settlement Pilot (CRISP) program.
“I came to Australia before I was two years old, so I don’t remember anything. The stories I heard were also very brief and concise.”
“Sometimes I also wonder why my parents didn’t tell me more about that period. Perhaps it was such a painful experience for them that they tried to suppress it.”
“The seven-day journey at sea, during which they had to face shortages of food, drinking water, and even pirates. My family was robbed of their money, but the second time, the pirates only pointed them in the right direction to Malaysia. It was an unexpected stroke of luck.”
When they arrived in Malaysia, his family was taken to the Pulau Bidong refugee camp, along with thousands of other Vietnamese refugees, struggling to survive before being accepted to go to Australia. His family, his uncle, and some relatives were accepted into Australia, while many others went to Canada and other countries.
In Perth, his family started over from scratch. They lived for about a year in Greylands – the housing arranged by the government to support refugees – before being provided with their own home.
“In the early days, my parents faced many difficulties because they didn’t know English. The government support program helped my father find a job related to computers, allowing him to learn English while earning an income. A church group also provided clothing, furniture, and basic necessities.”
“I was too young to remember much. But my parents definitely went through the hardest period. I only gradually learned about it through pieces of memories as I grew up. What I regret is that my parents didn’t keep in touch long-term with the people who helped them, but I understand because it was a painful experience they wanted to leave it behind.”
Growing up in that environment, he witnessed his family’s gradual stability and realised the value of helping others, which later led him to CRISP.
The circle of giving – “a meaningful experience”
CRISP (Community Refugee Integration and Settlement Pilot) is a pilot program implemented by the Australian Government. The program allows local community groups to volunteer to directly support a refugee family during the initial resettlement period, rather than relying entirely on the government’s support system.
Mr. Huy started participating in this program in 2023. In his role as group coordinator, he and a group of 10 people support a refugee family from Syria.
“You can imagine when an immigrant arrives in a completely new place, they immediately need to establish things like education, healthcare, employment, learning the language, connecting with Centrelink…
“Our biggest challenge from the very beginning was finding housing for them. We looked at many houses, each open house had 30–40 other people also applying. And we were often rejected, because we weren’t renting for ourselves but for a refugee family. Landlords were often worried whether they could pay, whether they would be stable… there were many uncertainties.”
“When they arrived, we went to the airport to pick them up, provided food and essential supplies for the first few weeks so they could settle in. Afterwards, members of the group took turns guiding them on how to use public transportation. In the group, there is a teacher who helped enroll the children in schools from elementary to high school, including all the necessary paperwork.”
“My wife is a doctor, so she also helped take them for medical and dental check-ups, and followed up on subsequent appointments.”
Not only stopping at initial support, the group also accompanies people over the long term during the integration process. The CRISP program places people at the centre of the settlement process. When refugees are welcomed by local residents, they can integrate faster, feel less isolated, and have better conditions to build an independent, connected life, while the community itself also becomes stronger.
According to Mr. Huy, the family he supports has shown significant changes after the settlement period.
“After just 6 months, we were able to communicate with the little one in English, and that made everything much easier.
“Currently, he is making very good progress. The parents still have difficulties with English, but the children are integrating well.”
Mr. Huy believes that the biggest difference of CRISP lies in the human factor.
“Previously, refugees were often assigned to a government support worker. This person would do similar things to us. But the problem is that it is quite impersonal. And such a worker often has to take care of many families at the same time, so the attention is divided.
“Meanwhile, our group consists of 10 people, all focused on supporting one family.
“Although the program only requires a one-year commitment, we have now become real friends. In two weeks, we are even organising a picnic to celebrate their two-year anniversary of coming to Australia. They are very eager to see us again, and there is a very warm bond.”
The family he supports is Syrian, having lived in Jordan for about 10 years before being accepted into Australia. In addition, the program also supports people from Myanmar and some other Southeast Asian countries.
“They come from regions with conflict, similar to Vietnam 40–50 years ago.”
Growing up in a refugee family became a source of inspiration for Huy to continue helping others.
“I tell them that right now it is very difficult, you have to learn English, you have to start over from scratch. But my parents were once in the same situation 50 years ago.”
“I am truly very grateful. Australia has given me everything. I have a full, meaningful, and valuable life. And all of this is thanks to my parents’ sacrifices. I realise that I am in a very fortunate position. And I also feel that I can bring something good to others.”
“I think what I want to convey to the Vietnamese community is: if we realise how lucky we are to live in Australia, then out there, there are still many people who need help. And if we can, this is a very worthwhile thing to do.
“Because seeing a family arrive here with nothing, then gradually settle down and hopefully thrive, is a very meaningful experience.”
END