By Cameron Lucadou-Wells
A DESPAIRING Afghan community leader said asylum seekers, barred from working and on sub-dole incomes under the federal government’s ‘no advantage’ rule, are being forced into desperate criminality.
Khaliq Fazal, president of Afghan Australian Association of Victoria, said the government should boost support services for the ever-growing masses of asylum seekers on bridging visas living in Greater Dandenong and Casey.
The result is a strain on health services and English language classes as well as welfare agencies.
Last month, the Asylum Seekers Centre closed its registration books on new asylum seeker families needing food because it could not keep up with demand.
“The council and the Red Cross are doing a fabulous job, but there are not enough services to reach all the people coming to settle here,” Mr Fazal said.
“You have to give them the resources to settle well so tomorrow they won’t be a burden.
“Without support, these people can turn to anything — they can create gangs and become criminals.
“The government is in disarray on this policy – they don’t know what they’re doing.”‘
Mr Fazal said the community was grieving for asylum seekers drowning by boat in their attempts to reach Australia. “Many members in the community will know of family members who have died. It’s devastating.
Mr Fazal, a former Afghan government minister, said that on a recent trip to Afghanistan, locals told him they wanted to come to Australia by boat, unaware of the dangers.
“People see that coming by boat is the way to be accepted and don’t bother applying through legal channels.
“They say they can pay $15,000 to a people smuggler and they get to Australia in four weeks and there’s no worries.”
