Did you know that the Federal Government is deliberately
forcing asylum seekers into homelessness and destitution?
The background: The Status Resolution Support Service
People
who are seeking recognition as refugees have to wait for their claims for
protection to be determined. Until recently, they received support through the
SRSS. This support, however, has been drastically cut back over the past two
years. The Federal Government has cut the budget from $139.8 million to just $56.2
million, which has had a dramatic impact on the lives of asylum seekers, who,
for the most part, are living in our capital cities.
More
than 1200 men and women have lost access to torture and trauma services,
subsidised medication, and casework support. They have also lost their income
support, which amounted to 89% of the Newstart allowance, or approximately $250
a week to cover rent, food and other costs for single adults. Very soon,
families with children over six years old will have their support withdrawn.
But everyone needs money to buy food, pay rent and pay for
medical help when they need it.
What are they supposed to do?
The
Federal Government’s short answer is: “Get a job!” But that is far from easy
when you have a short-term, temporary visa, when you are suffering from the
trauma of fleeing your homeland and when your English-speaking skills are
limited. These asylum seekers want to work, and want to contribute to the
community, but first of all they require appropriate support to develop their
language skills, to recover from their trauma and to become job-ready.
Deliberately making them homeless and destitute serves no good purpose.
How is this policy affecting support services?
Charities,
local councils and other services around Australia are reporting huge increases
in homelessness and destitution as a result of these savage cuts to SRSS
support. Charities are under enormous pressure as they try to respond to the
demands on their services. Kon Karapanagiotidis, the CEO of the Asylum Seeker
Resource Centre (ASRC), says: “The ASRC and organisations like us are
increasingly providing emergency relief in a crisis of homelessness and hunger
caused by cuts to SRSS. Entire families are presenting to the ASRC with
complex, deteriorating mental and physical health while at the risk of
homelessness. People are forcibly dependent on charity rather than being able
to contribute to building our multicultural country and economy, which they
very much want and try hard to do.”
What can you do?
·
You can join our group to help us campaign for an immediate
restoration of SRSS support to all people seeking asylum until they are able to
support themselves in paid employment.
·
You can contact our local MP Pat Conaghan by email at: Pat.Conaghan.MP@aph.gov.au. or phone his office on 6652 6233 (Coffs
Harbour office), or 6277 4446 (Canberra office).
Published by Bellingen and Nambucca District Rural
Australians for Refugees.
