By Cam Lucadou-Wells
Greater Dandenong has joined a call for an end to the “cruel” treatment of more than 90,000 refugees and people seeking asylum who are “living in limbo” in Australia.
In a relaunch of the Back Your Neighbour campaign, a coalition of local councils have spoken out on their behalf just months ahead of the 2022 Federal election.
Greater Dandenong mayor Jim Memeti, who is chair of the 40-member Local Government Mayoral Taskforce Supporting People Seeking Asylum, opened the launch on 18 February.
He said people seeking asylum needed “hope for the future” and a “stable foundation to build their lives on”.
“People don’t know how hard it is to survive without basic services.
“We will continue to advocate for thousands of people living without certainty and support ahead of the Federal election.”
Asylum seekers, many of them settling in Casey and Greater Dandenong, have lingered for up to nine years waiting for an outcome on their visa applications.
Many are deprived of Medicare, mental health services, public housing, material aid and even income and rights to work.
Asylum Seekers Resource Centre advocate Barat Ali Batoor arrived as a refugee from Afghanistan in a sinking boat in 2013.
He said he was one of the “lucky ones” who was accepted on a humanitarian visa and settled as an Australian citizen.
A lot of his friends are still lingering on temporary protection visas, uncertain whether they can stay and settle with their families in Australia.
“The separation from their families is impacting them seriously.
“We have seen many people losing their lives because of the uncertainty and limbo.
“They cannot plan a future for themselves because they don’t know what’s going to happen next.”
Refugees were your next-door neighbours, shop owners, renovating your house or giving you a lift to see your loved ones, Mr Batoor said.
“Above all they are humans just like you and me.
“We have a moral obligation to treat (refugees) humanely and equally as any Australian.”
During the Covid lockdowns, asylum seekers who lost their livelihoods were ineligible for JobKeeper or JobSeeker benefits, he said.
The ASRC – which does not receive federal funding – were supporting up to 100 new people a week with food and other necessities.
“People who were paying taxes and contributing to the Australian economy were left with nothing during the worst global pandemic in more than 100 years.”
Greater Dandenong councillor Rhonda Garad said asylum seekers were left “desperate” by the “terrible cuts” to federal Status Support Resolution Services (SRSS) payments.
They were instead largely reliant on unfunded charities and councils to survive.
Cr Garad quoted from a student who was unable to work without a visa: “We feel like we are an unwanted leaf falling on the floor and everyone is steeping on us.”
Homeless and on the street, her family asked for help. And people looked at them and laughed, she wrote.
Back Your Neighbour calls for a single refugee status decision process and an independent, timely and fair merits review.
It wants temporary protection visas for refugees replaced by permanent humanitarian visas.
They are also calling for the massive backlog of asylum applications and appeals to be heard, and for access to Medicare, income support, work rights and mental health services.
Details: backyourneighbour.com.au
