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You
will be aware that many groups across Australia, including ours, have
been writing to and lobbying the government about the urgent need to
include asylum seekers and others on temporary visas in the various
COVID-19 support packages that have been implemented in recent times. To
date, the government has remained indifferent to the plight of these
vulnerable groups, but thankfully, the NSW government has now stepped
in.
In a news release issued on 3rd June, the NSW government
announced a $6 million package to support our multicultural communities,
including migrants and temporary visa holders. The government
acknowledges that these vulnerable people must be given the urgent help
that they need.
The Acting Minister for multiculturalism, Geoff Lee, stated:
“The NSW Government is determined to ensure we support our most
vulnerable by providing funding for essentials like food and medicine.
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Temporary
visa holders, including refugees and asylum seekers, have become
increasingly vulnerable during COVID-19 and they don’t qualify for any
of the support packages announced by the Commonwealth Government.”
The funding will be distributed by specialist migrant and settlement
NGOs, and other organisations who work with these vulnerable
communities.
The news was warmly welcomed by the Asylum Seekers Centre in Sydney.
Frances Rush, the CEO, writes:
“From the early days of the pandemic we knew that people seeking
asylum would be among those hit hardest. Our Centre has seen the need
triple for basics such as food, rental relief, digital connectivity and
health services. This commitment of funds from the NSW government is a
welcome acknowledgement that people seeking asylum are part of our
community, they cannot leave and they have lived through three months of
the pandemic with no access to Centrelink.”
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THE IMPORTANCE OF MOBILE PHONES FOR ASYLUM SEEKERS
We all know how important our mobile phones are to us. For asylum
seekers and refugees in detention, who are already denied laptops and,
often, access to visitors, their mobile phones are their most vital ink
to the outside world. They allow them to stay in contact with family and
with refugee supporters who help lift their morale.
They can also be used to show us what life is like for detainees in
detention, which is inconvenient for our government, which has been
highly successful in its efforts to keep these vulnerable people out of
sight and out of mind.
Mobile phones, therefore, are a vital lifeline, but that is precisely
why our heartless Federal Government wants to take them away, and the
Acting Minister has signalled that he intends to introduce legislation
to do just that.
This latest action by Alan Tudge revives an attempt by Minister Dutton
to ban mobile phones for detainees, a move that was stopped by the
Federal Court.
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Please
consider contacting Alan Tudge to urge him not to introduce legislation
that would allow authorities to remove mobile phones from refugees.
Tell him that their phones are a vital lifeline which enables them to
stay in contact with the outside world. To deny them this basic amenity
would be utterly cruel and heartless.
Alan Tudge: Alan.Tudge.MP@aph.gov.au. Tel: 02 6277 7790
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PLANNING OUR FUTURE ACTIVITIES
A number of our supporters have responded to a brief discussion paper
from Mike about how we move forward with our activities once all
government restrictions are eased. There is strong support for
continuing with our market stalls and our roadside demonstrations and
for continuing with our fundraising activities.
We have purchased a roll of calico and have two banners sewn up and
ready to paint, and we have also acquired a batch of corflutes
(placards) that are ready to be painted with new signs for our
demonstrations.
If you have any thoughts about what we should write on the
banners and the placards, then please let Mike know by emailing him at: mandm.griffin2@bigpond.com.
As ever, if you have any ideas about fundraising activities, big or
small, that you are willing to lead on, then please let us know. It
would be great to have some new ideas.
We hope to have a planning meeting soon to discuss all this in more
detail. If you would like to be involved, please let Mike know.
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Check out the index of subjects on our blog http://bellorar.blogspot.com.au
It includes articles from many sources and letters to politicians and newspapers.
This newsletter is sent to >670 recipients
Our Face book is at https://www.facebook.com/Rural-Australians-for-Refugees-Bellingen-and-Nambucca-Districts-269696303205083/timeline/
(579 likes)
Twitter Account @RARBellingenNam
Email address bellingen.rar@gmail.com
The National RAR web site is at www.ruralaustraliansforrefugees.org.au
The National RAR facebook site is at RAR Facebook
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