Asylum Seekers Centre

We join our sector allies - advocates, legal experts, and frontline workers - in condemning the Albanese government's brutal and knee-jerk expansion of powers going before the Senate today. Today's ad via The Sydney Morning Herald, Asylum Seeker Resource Centre These laws would be a catastrophic setback for the rights of people seeking asylum and refugees. They must be stopped. Asylum Seeker Resource Centre Refugee Council of Australia Refugee Advice & Casework Service (RACS) Refugee Legal Amnesty International Australia Welcoming Australia Jesuit Refugee Service

🚨 URGENT ACTION 🚨 The Albanese government is trying to rush through a trio of brutal migration bills which would have catastrophic consequences for tens of thousands of people, including people seeking asylum. The bills in question: 🚩 Deportation and Surveillance Bill (Migration Amendment Bill 2024) 🚩 Mobile Phone Ban Bill (Migration Amendment (Prohibiting Items in Immigration Detention Facilities) Bill 2024) 🚩 Entry Ban and Deportation Bill (Migration Amendment (Removal and Other Measures) Bill 2024) 👩💻 Search for your Senators: https://loom.ly/TTibhbw 📞 Call your Senator and urge them to oppose all three bills 📣 Share this urgent call to action

Today is the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women - and the start of the 16 Days of Activism against gender-based violence. We are reminded that gender-based violence is a pervasive issue that affects women worldwide—across cultures and borders, and with some communities more vulnerable. In Australia, one-third of refugee women experience domestic violence and face barriers to accessing support. We must ensure every woman can seek support, justice, and healing, no matter her visa status. If you need support: 📞 1800 Respect (1800 737 732) 📞 Lifeline (13 11 14)

📣 Seeking asylum is a human right 📣 Under international law, everyone has the right to seek safety from persecution. Labor is pushing through its draconian Deportation and Surveillance Bill, which once again attempts to subvert the spirit of the law and the human rights of refugees and people seeking asylum. Will you help stop this brutal Bill? TAKE ACTION now: ✍️ Get up to speed on the Bill using Human Rights Law Centre’s explainer: https://loom.ly/aZ-arAs 👩💻 Search for your Senator: https://loom.ly/TTibhbw 📩 Email your Senator and urge them to oppose this brutal Bill

Labor’s brutal deportation and surveillance Bill, which could allow people to be sent to third countries to be detained or back to countries where they face harm, continues a desperate trend of politicians trying to feed us demonising narratives. As our CEO Frances says, we must all rally to reject fear and division, and choose to embrace kindness and welcome. Read her thoughts on why we can't underestimate the importance of a warm welcome: https://loom.ly/Bg1YvW8

Having fled war and persecution, Quinton arrived in Australia with hopes of freedom and safety. Yet, for 12 years, he's been trapped in limbo under Australia's broken system. Quinton was given one hour to plead his case to government officials. One hour to tell his story of trauma. One hour to recount his life, the loss of family members, and why he wants to live in Australia. "They make us disappear," he says. This dehumanisation is the reality faced by many people seeking safety under a system designed to make people disappear without support. 🔗 Read Quinton's story: https://loom.ly/v6Opq-8

Families face many challenges moving to a new country. The transition to school in a new country can be difficult for children and parents, from learning a new language and adjusting to a new culture to navigating a new system. Over FY2024, the ASC helped 204 families helped with school enrolments. We're proud to support families to access the basic human right of education 💙

This #WorldKindnessDay, we reflect on the importance of extending a warm welcome to those who need it most. While the fight against the politics of fear and division can feel overwhelming, there is hope. And it is a battle that must be fought with the best of intentions and with an underpinning of kindness. Nowhere is the litmus test of our success on these measures more evident than how we treat refugees and people seeking asylum. And that starts with a welcome. Providing a warm welcome must be a responsibility carried willingly and enthusiastically by every single member of our society. It must be evident in how we all speak about people seeking asylum, with compassion, understanding, and a great deal of empathy. It must be in the rejection of the ill-informed and often barely concealed racism pedalled by members of our political class, here and abroad. You often forget a welcome. But people seeking asylum don’t 💙

"Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world." – Nelson Mandela We are grateful for ASC's incredible University Advisors making dreams of higher education a reality ✨ In picture from L-R are some of our volunteer University Advisors - Beverley, Su (ASC staff), Margaret, Maya, and Andrew. Our University Advisors provide invaluable guidance on enrolments and scholarship applications to help people seeking asylum access tertiary education. When admitted to university, our University Advisors continue supporting students to ensure they're able to access services to help them thrive at university 🎓 #AsylumSeekersCentre #ASC

In response to the High Court's ruling that ankle bracelets and curfews imposed on people released from indefinite detention are unlawful, the government has chosen to repeat its path of rushed cruelty. Yesterday, Labor introduced new knee-jerk legislation that could allow refugees to be sent to third countries where they could be detained or sent back to a country where they face harm. It mimics elements of the draconian deportation and entry ban bill which stalled in the Senate earlier this year. Once again, these reactions are simply fuelling a race to the bottom and contributing to fear-mongering within our community. We expect better and call on the government to put an end to this merry-go-round of injustice. Read the news: https://lnkd.in/gb8RjrFw