By Cam Lucadou-Wells
A Greater Dandenong push for councils across Australia to back its campaign for asylum seekers is being considered by a national councils body.
At an Australian Local Government Association general assembly in June, the council’s motion to endorse Back Your Neighbour was held over for consideration by the ALGA board.
The board also held over Greater Dandenong’s motion for a more consistent approach to taking refugees from danger zones.
“We saw a significant difference in how the last Government swiftly responded to the crisis in Ukraine compared to Afghanistan,” Greater Dandenong councillor Rhonda Garad said.
Both motions were likely to be endorsed, she said.
The ALGA endorsed Greater Dandenong’s call for a $800 million fund over four years to help councils respond to climate change.
“We want a portion of a $200 million annual fund to assist our vulnerable to be protected against the worst climate impacts,” Cr Garad said.
The most vulnerable included people from multi-cultural backgrounds, older persons, and those with financial and housing insecurity.
The 39-council BYN campaign was formed by City of Greater Dandenong, on behalf of 100,000 asylum seekers living “in limbo”.
Some asylum-seekers have languished for up to a decade waiting for permanent protection. Some are deprived income support or work rights.
About 40 councillors attended a Back Your Neighbour informal meeting during the ALGA assembly.
“Councillors who have had contact with asylum seekers seem to be more supportive and appreciative of their situation,” Greater Dandenong mayor Jim Memeti said.
He said a rural councillor told him that asylum seekers from Afghanistan were a vital part of their local workforce. And she voiced concerns about their anxiety for their imperilled families overseas.
“She told me that they want them to live in their community. We want them to be part of our community.”
Cr Memeti was hopeful that the Federal Government will enact the campaign’s four action points:
• access to Centrelink, Medicare and support services,
• replacing temporary protection visas (TPVs) with permanent visas,
• clearing the backlog of asylum applications and appeals
• overhauling the refugee determination process.
During the recent Federal election, the ALP pledged to support the scrapping of TPVs.
Labor MPs had also expressed support for speeding up asylum protection applications and appeals, Cr Memeti said.
