According to a Wollongong City Council document, 420 refugees settled in Wollongong last year. Syrians made up the highest number of this group, followed by those from Myanmar, Iraq, Iran, Sudan, Ethiopia, Afghanistan and Togo. The document states long-term accommodation for new arrivals is most often sourced in suburbs around Wollongong, Coniston and Cringila.

The executive manager at Illawarra Multicultural Services, Mohan Gunasekara, said Syrians would again be one of the largest ethnic refugee groups to arrive in Wollongong this year.

He said the Illawarra was mostly a welcoming environment for refugees, but said those of Arabic descent did face problems in the area.

"We have instances of schoolchildren being vilified, and a lot of our taxi drivers are from refugee backgrounds and they are vilified on the job," he said.

"The problem is there is a reluctance to report these things and sometimes they go unnoticed. As a community, we can lift our game a bit, and not be scared of difference."

In January, a Muslim woman wearing a hijab reported being abused by an elderly woman at a Wollongong store, while the shocking bashing and robbery of a recently arrived Eritrean refugee at Wollongong train station in 2013 made national headlines after it was captured on CCTV.

"It is disappointing these things are happening because this is not representative of the Wollongong community," Mr Gunasekara said.

"These refugees come from a traumatic situation in their home country and for these things to happen in a peaceful place is very concerning."