New migrants in Coffs Harbour share their hopes and fears for 2035 in the Coffs Coast ABC Open project Plus 20.

As Coffs Harbour grows, the new migrant community grows with it. This small regional city is now home to people from across the globe including Africa, Asia and the Middle East.

People have arrived here fleeing war and searching for a new life. They are new to this community, but they are already part of it.

How will their relationship with Coffs Harbour change over the next 20 years?

Students from the Nortec Skills for Education and Employment class have shared their hopes and fears for the future as part of the Coffs Coast ABC Open project Plus20.

The class of 11 students has lived Australia for three to eight years and has come from all over the world to be here.

Some of the students, like Goitom from Eritrea, hope they will be safe to travel back to where they lived before by 2035 "because my country is beautiful for everything".

However, many of the students already see Australia and Coffs Harbour as home. They hope they will still be here and living safely in the community.

Burhanu was born in Ethiopia but lived in Sudan for 25 years. He hopes to be living in Coffs Harbour in 2035.

"I would like a cleaning job, or to work in a shop like I did in Sudan. I will be 72 years old and working will be good for me," he said.

Many new migrants have come here with family, and their hopes for the future are based on the next generation who are growing up in Coffs Harbour.

"I hope by 2035 my son will be successfully finished university," said Tesfalem from Eritrea. "I hope to be working independently in my own business."

For many migrants who have fled war, their fears are with their families who were left behind.

Yar would like to travel back to South Sudan to bring her brother and sister and their families back to Coffs Harbour to be safe with her.

Many of the students talked about travelling back to their original homes, and then coming back here.

"I will go back to Africa to visit and come back to Australia because this is my place also," Akoi said.

Wendy Tanner teaches English as a second language as part of the Adult Migrant English Program (AMEP) through the TAFE campus in Coffs Harbour. She has worked with new migrants for more than 20 years.

Talking about 2035, Wendy felt the refugee situation world-wide will not have improved, but she did not see the numbers of refugees increasing in Coffs Harbour because of a lack of suitable housing.

Even if the area experienced rapid growth, she thought the work situation would still be dire for new arrivals.

Overall, Wendy feels the refugee and migrant program has had a positive impact, and those who stay in the area will continue to contribute to the local social and economic wellbeing of the Coffs Harbour region.

"I love my job and have made lasting relationships with some of my ex-students," she said.

"I feel very privileged to work with these people and often feel I learn more from them than they learn from me."

When it comes to the thoughts of the future for Coffs Harbour as a whole, the new migrant group sees Coffs Harbour as growing.

"Because of global warming there could be more water rising onto the land," Kulrada said. "There will be better technology for people but a worse environment."

You can read these stories and more on the ABC Open Plus 20 project.