Newsletter for 5 June 2018 Rural Australians for Refugees Bellingen and Nambucca Districts

_{Roadside demonstration report}

_{Market report}

_{Fundraising concert : Reaching Out. Sunday 10th June at 2.00 pm
Where does all our money go?
Asylum seekers set to lose their meagre benefits} 

_{Roadside demonstration report}

_{There were just three of us at last week’s roadside demonstration in Toormina, so we were not as visible as we normally are. That said, we received overwhelmingly supportive responses from passing motorists and we thought that our efforts were worthwhile. We’ll review the situation  when we next hold a general get-together, but in the meantime if anyone has any thoughts on how we might be more effective in getting our message across, then please don’t hesitate to contact us.}

_{Our next roadside demonstration will be on Thursday 14th June by The Big Banana in Coffs Harbour from 2.30 to 4.00 pm. Please join us if you can.}

_{Market report}

_{A big thank you to all our supporters who turned up to the Valla Beach market on Saturday}

 _{to lend a hand. We had a busy and productive morning, handing out leaflets, talking to market-goers, collecting signatures and selling our merchandise. And of course, having a good chat amongst friends!} 

_{Our next market stall will be at the Coffs Harbourside market on Sunday 17th June from 9.00 am until 1.30 pm. If you can help out for an hour or two, then please email Mike at :mandm.griffin2@bigpond.com.}

_{Fundraising concert : Reaching Out. Sunday 10th June at 2.00 pm}

_{A final reminder that our concert is coming up on Sunday in the main hall of the Nambucca Community and Arts Centre on Ridge Street, Nambucca Heads, starting at 2.00 pm. If you haven’t yet purchased your tickets, these are available from Helloworld Travel in Nambucca Heads and The Alternative Bookshop in Bellingen. Alternatively, you can reserve your tickets, for collection at the door, by phoning Marlene on 6569 5419. You can check the location of the hall by visiting the website at: www.nambucca.com.au/ncac.}

_{A big thank you to all  who have volunteered to help on the day or who have kindly donated raffle prizes. If any supporters could bring a plate of sandwiches or cake for the interval refreshments, this would be greatly appreciated. Our plan is to keep costs to a minimum, so that we can maximize the donation to the Asylum Seekers Centre in Newtown.}

_{At this point, we are thinking that we will try to sell the Wendy Sharpe painting via a sealed bids auction. More details on the day.}

_{Where does all our money go?}

_{From time to time, market-goers ask us what we do with the money that we raise. Since we opened our RAR bank account in August 2014, we have made the following donations:}

_{Children Out of Detention: $3315}

_{Refugee Advice and Casework Services: $4200}

_{Asylum Seekers Centre: $3650}

_{In addition, we raised approximately $700 to pay the fares from Sydney for an Iranian family who spent five days with us in 2017.}

_{Total: $11,865}

_{We expect to raise a four-figure sum at the concert next weekend.}

_{Asylum seekers set to lose their meagre benefits}

_{The Department of Home Affairs announced some months ago that asylum seekers awaiting the outcome of their claims for protection under the Refugee Convention would face tougher eligibility criteria to access benefits. Currently, this cohort of some 12,500 people receive some $250 per week, together with access to a case worker and to trauma and torture counselling. Some single asylum seekers have already lost these benefits and are now reliant on the generosity of their communities, refugee organisations, faith groups and other charities, as they try to find work. As of yesterday, 4th June, thousands of asylum seeker families, including many children, will be told that they will have just days to find themselves new accommodation and find a job. They will lose their benefits and will no longer have access to a caseworker or a counsellor. Of course, asylum seekers want to find work, if they are medically fit to do so -  though many of them are not, as a result of their terrifying experiences. Finding a job, when you have just a temporary, short-term visa, and limited English skills, is not an easy task. We have produced a leaflet about this cruel policy change, which we distributed at the market on Saturday and which will be available to concert-goers next weekend.}

_{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 >580 recipients}

_{Our Face book is at https://www.facebook.com/Rural-Australians-for-Refugees-Bellingen-and-Nambucca-Districts-269696303205083/timeline/}

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_{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}

Law students enlisted to help clear asylum seeker claims backlog the Age 11 sep 2016

La Trobe law students enlisted to help 

Asylum Seeker Resource Centre clear 

claims backlog

• Bianca Hall

   
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An asylum seeker sits down in front of you, and tells you her life story. She hands over her papers, if she has any. She speaks only halting English, or perhaps none at all. The forms, with more than 60 questions, baffle her. Her life is on the line. And your task is to prepare the paperwork that will help her try to prove to the government that she deserves Australian protection.

This is not a drill.

Kobra Moradi from Afghanistan came to Australia in 2005, sponsored by her father, who came as a refugee in 2000. She is now a third-year law and international relations student at La Trobe University. Photo: Justin McManus

From Monday, students from La Trobe University's law school will be enlisted to help the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre clear a backlog of asylum claims; the so-called "legacy caseload" of tens of thousands of people who arrived in the surge in boat people coming under the Gillard and Rudd governments and whose asylum claims have still not been assessed.

Under changes introduced by Tony Abbott in 2014, thousands who arrived in Australia by boat between August 13, 2012 and December 31, 2013 are subject to so-called "fast track" measures. They can only apply for temporary protection visas and have limited avenues of appeal if their applications are not successful.

It's estimated 24,000 fall into this category – 10,000 of them in Victoria.

Refugee agencies have been overwhelmed by the sheer size of the group, and by the cuts to legal representation to asylum seekers (the Law Institute of Victoria says since 2014, the government has cut 80 per cent of funding for legal assistance to asylum seekers). 

Launching the project on Monday is Kobra​ Moradi​, who will bring a unique experience to her task: the 20-year-old Afghan-born woman came to Australia in 2005, sponsored by her father, who came as a refugee in 2000. She is now a third-year law and international relations student.

"My father could have been interviewed by someone who was against refugees or who didn't believe him, but they felt his pain and they believed him," she said.

"For that reason, now I live under the protection of one of the most powerful states in the world, without checkpoints and without people following me everywhere. Your humanity's recognised and therefore your rights are recognised."

Law school students will help hundreds of people fill in their paperwork, each spending up to 15 days on their task. Their work will count towards their course and their work will be strictly supervised by solicitors and teachers.

La Trobe's Head of Law Professor Patrick Keyzer said the unique partnership was based on shared beliefs.

"Both the law school and Asylum Seeker Resource Centre value human rights education for law students and high-quality legal education with a strong commitment to social justice, global issues and hands on perspective. This collaboration embodies all of that," Professor Keyzer said.