R4R End of Year Picnic

 

Poem

 

Free Community Screening of Watandar

 

Can you help?

 

Luminous Lantern Parade

 

Palm Sunday Rally - King George Square

This Sunday 2 April at 1pm, can you join me and other ASRC supporters at the Palm Sunday Rally for Refugees in King George Square?

Yes, I'll come

Last month, we welcomed the Albanese Government’s announcement of permanence for 19,000 refugees living with temporary visas.

But thousands of people failed by the former government’s so-called “fast track” refugee assessment process were left out of the announcement.

A decade after they came for safety, all people subjected to the unfair “fast track” process urgently need a pathway to permanence to truly rebuild their lives as part of our community.

Too many people seeking asylum are still being denied the right to work, study or access mainstream social safety nets that exist to get us back on our feet in tough times.

And a decade after our government forced them to brutal overseas detention centres, around 150 refugees are still trapped in PNG and Nauru.

Yes, I'll come

Since the 1980s, people of many different faith and non-faith backgrounds have joined together on Palm Sunday to march for peace.

Today, Palm Sunday rallies are also a way for people to come together and speak up for the human rights of refugees and people seeking asylum.

This Sunday 2 April, please join me and other ASRC supporters as we demand freedom, fairness and safety for all refugees and people seeking asylum.

In solidarity,

Shivani Kanodia
QLD Community Organiser

PS We’ll be meeting at King George Square at 1pm - look out for the ASRC banner!

 

RCOA welcomes Government’s long-awaited announcement

The Refugee Council of Australia (RCOA) welcomes the Albanese Government’s long-awaited announcement of its plans to end the cruel and unnecessary policy of temporary protection.  

“Today’s announcement from Immigration Minister Andrew Giles is a historic moment, righting almost a decade of an inhumane policy which achieved nothing but untold harm and trauma to people who sought protection in Australia,” RCOA chief executive officer Paul Power said. 

“The announcement provides much-needed clarity about how the Government plans to implement its 2022 election promise to end temporary protection.

“Refugees subject to the temporary protection policy have been waiting anxiously for more than 10 years for the right to safety and security in Australia. We hope that the process can occur quickly so that people can finally put an end to their ongoing limbo. 

“The conversion of temporary protection visas to permanent visas will enable people who have been contributing to Australian society for more than a decade to feel finally that this country is their home. They will no longer be prevented from getting a loan for a home or their business and, most importantly of all, will be able to apply to reunite with separated family members.”  

Those who already have a Temporary Protection Visa (TPV) or Safe Haven Enterprise Visa (SHEV) will be able to apply for a permanent Resolution of Status (RoS) Visa. Current applications to renew expired TPVs or SHEVs will automatically be converted to ROS visa applications. Those still waiting for a decision will be granted a RoS Visa once their need for refugee protection is determined.

Specialist refugee legal centres will be funded to provide free assistance to those who are eligible to apply for the permanent Resolution of Status Visa. There is no application fee for this visa and there is no need for applicants to pay for private migration advice.

The Government expects that the process of converting temporary protection visas to permanent ones will be concluded in around 12 months.

Once people are granted a RoS Visa, they will be able to apply to sponsor family members through the migration program, as previous barriers to family reunion have also been removed. However, restrictions are still in place for applications through the Special Humanitarian Program.

Refugee community groups and non-profit organisations have been campaigning for the removal of temporary protection visas since the policy’s inception in 2014 under the Liberal-National Coalition government.

The temporary protection policy was applied to anyone who had arrived by boat to seek protection in Australia before 19 July 2013 and had not been given refugee status prior to the change of government in September 2013. Having endured an extended period of immigration detention on arrival, their protection claims were suspended until 2015 while the Abbott Government implemented its temporary protection policy.

Those found to be in need of refugee protection were granted either a three-year Temporary Protection Visa (TPV) or a five-year Safe Haven Enterprise Visa (SHEV). They had to reapply every few years but faced significant delays. Restrictions on their rights included no possibility of reuniting with their families, no support for tertiary study, limited employment prospects because of their temporary status, travel restrictions, and limited access to disability and other social support.

As of December 2022, there are 19,693 people with temporary refugee status – 5,389 on TPVs and 14,294 on SHEVs. A further 892 people are awaiting an initial decision from the Department of Home Affairs while 845 are seeking a review of a negative decision at the Immigration Assessment Authority. Approximately 5,000 people are seeking judicial review of their negative decision.

“While we celebrate the end of this policy, we are concerned that the announcement today does not provide hope and a clear pathway for those who have been rejected through the unfair ‘fast track process’. For years, Labor MPs and Senators have acknowledged the unfairness of the fast track process, yet this announcement leaves people only with the option of seeking ministerial intervention to prevent forced return to danger.

“This omission will inevitably increase pressure on the ministerial intervention process as many people previously rejected are from countries where the risk of persecution has become more acute in recent years, particularly Afghanistan, Myanmar and Iran.

“The Refugee Council and our member organisations around Australia look forward to working with the Federal Government to ensure that the transition to permanent visas is as smooth as possible and that community concerns about separated families and people still at risk are addressed.”

Congratulation to Lyn Moore

 Redlands Coast Australia Day Awards 2023

Lyn was shortlisted in the senior Citizen of the Year category for her outstanding commitment to Redlands4Refugees. her commitment to supporting refugee families and in promoting an awareness of the challenges they face was recognised.

She is pictured here with her husband Doug, R4R treasurer, Olga and secretary John.