We need help to raise $10,000 between now and the end of the financial year to maintain our current level of support for rent and living allowances for the refugee and asylum seeker families that we support.
Canberra Refugee Support (CRS) along with our partners Companion House and St Vincent de Paul, has been dealing with an asylum seeker crisis in Canberra for the past five years. The previous Australian government withdrew financial support and services for asylum seekers while they await a decision on their claim for protection.
Many asylum seekers are able find work. Some can’t, due to limited English, lack of access to childcare or poor mental or physical health. Through the generosity of our members and with some assistance from the ACT Government we have been able to prevent these families from falling into homelessness and enabled them to live with a degree of dignity.
CRS now faces a severe challenge to our ability to maintain this support for several reasons:
- The current Australian government has not delivered on its policy commitment to re-introduce support for asylum seekers while they await a decision on their claim for protection.
- Rents in Canberra have increased substantially.
- The number of asylum seekers in Canberra who need assistance is growing.
CRS payments for rent and basic living allowances to asylum seekers on Bridging Visas with no other income have increased from around $8,000 per month at the beginning of this year to $12,000 per month. In recent months we have obtained around $4,000 per month from the ACT Government discretionary funds for these families.
Despite strong support from members and fundraising through Hands Across Canberra, CRS funds are severely depleted. From July, CRS is likely to be unable to maintain our current level of support for rent and living allowances.
CRS will continue to support families in need to the extent that we can.
CRS and its partner agencies are waiting for an announcement in the ACT budget as to whether the Government will continue providing discretionary funds for asylum seekers who are unable to obtain work. We will find out in late June.
CRS is looking for funds in the short-term, to ensure that the families we support can pay their rent while we wait for clarity about ACT Government support.
Donations to CRS are tax deductible. If we could raise $10,000 between now and the end of the financial year would allow us to support families while either:
- in the best case, we wait for ACT Government funds for the next financial year to become available; or
- in the worst case, we work with our volunteers in advocating to the ACT Government to prevent families from becoming homeless.
You can help us by either:
- making a one -off donation; or
- setting up an electronic funds transfer donation on a weekly or monthly basis.
Dr. Douglas Hynd
President
Canberra Refugee Support