Back Your Neighbour | Community organisation

Back Your Neighbour

Add/Update information

Reviews

Tags

• Community organisation

23.01.2022 Thank you to Ballarat Council and Ballarat Rural Australians for Refugees for shinning a light on the devastating effects that the Status Resolution Support Services cuts are having on people's mental and physical health, self-sufficiency, and the ability to secure safe and secure housing. Keep up the great work!

23.01.2022 Back Your Neighbour is deeply concerned for the 164 refugees and people seeking asylum in Victoria about to be moved out of their homes, with little warning, and no support from the Federal Government. At the discretion of the Federal Government, these individuals were transferred from Nauru or PNG to Australia due to severe health needs. This cohort has been without work or study rights for seven years, leaving them unable to participate in the workforce and gain job-ready ...skills through education and language programs. Forcing these individuals out of community detention without any Federal Government support guarantees a reliance on charities and State and local government agencies for housing, food and other basic needs. Whilst BYN supports this cohort's freedom from detention and working rights; the economic recession means fewer jobs and increased competition in the job market. The high likelihood of unemployment will leave refugees and people seeking asylum facing severe health risks, homelessness and destitution. https://www.sbs.com.au//hundreds-of-refugees-are-in-a-horr

22.01.2022 Federal Government cuts to the SRSS are leaving thousands of people seeking asylum with nothing to survive on. Back Your Neighbour is continuing the fight to secure a liveable income for those who need it most, and we're doing this with three main objectives in mind: 1. For the Federal Government to ensure a liveable income for those awaiting the decision on their claim for asylum ... 2. For State and Territory Governments to follow suit with Victorian and Queensland Governments in providing interim funding to local services who are supporting individuals and families put at risk by the SRSS cuts 3. For the Federal Government to provide adequate resources to fairly expedite the 'legacy caseload' of people seeking asylum so that their status is full resolved Show your support by signing the online petition: www.megaphone.org.au/p/stopsrsscuts

21.01.2022 Back Your Neighbour is thrilled to be celebrating our refugee communities and the many contributions they have made to our cultural, social and economic lives during #RefugeeWeek2020! Sadly, human rights violations and persecutions continue to exist. Refugee Week serves an opportunity to consider the ongoing challenges facing refugees and people seeking asylum in many parts of world. Back Your Neighbour is continuing to advocate for the welfare and wellbeing of refugees and... people seeking asylum in our community. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Back Your Neighbour and the Refugee Council of Australia (RCOA) are asking the Federal Government to: - Ensure all people seeking asylum and refugees have access to a financial net so they are not forced into destitution - Ensure all people seeking asylum have access to medical treatment and Medicare - Prevent people from losing legal status and access to support Show your support for refugees and people seeking asylum by signing the BackYour Neighbour petition http://backyourneighbour.com.au/petition/ #BackYourNeighbour #RefugeeWeek #RCOA #NobodyLeftBehind

20.01.2022 The #Budget2020 was a very disappointing outcome for people seeking asylum and refugees in Australia. Financial support for people seeking asylum in Australia has been reduced by half in the 2020/21 budget. In just three years, the Morrison Government has reduced the yearly spend on financial support for people seeking asylum by $120.2 million. The Federal Government continues to make ‘savings’ by refusing support services to the growing number of people seeking asylum who ar...e in desperate need of a liveable income. These cruel budget cuts could not come at a worse time for people seeking asylum in Australia. This cohort is already reliant on charities and facing destitution due to a complete exclusion from safety nets during the COVID-19 pandemic and recession. Back Your Neighbour will continue to advocate against these inhumane cuts and urge the Federal Government to increase financial support for people seeking asylum.

19.01.2022 As COVID-19 cases continue to climb in Victoria, with over 1,300 confirmed cases over the past 48 hours, people seeking asylum remain an extremely vulnerable group. With no financial or medical support, much of this cohort is being forced into situations whereby social distancing is a challenging exercise. Without rental support, many are living in overcrowded accommodations, and are t the brink of becoming homeless as the shutdown continues. ... People seeking asylum who previously had secured employment and remained independent are now being forced into a reliance on support services from charities and service providers who are tirelessly having to step in, in light of the Federal Government's absence. Back Your Neighbour continues to urge ScoMo and his team to extended both financial support measures and Medicare to all people in Australia throughout the pandemic. #WeAreAllInThisTogether

18.01.2022 Across Australia, there are approximately 16,000 children and young people seeking asylum, who along with their families, have been abandoned by the Federal Government throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Due to exclusion from safety nets including Job Keeper and Job Seeker, as well as ineligibility for Medicare, this cohort is left unable to buy food, buy medicines or pay rent. The impact of this exclusion is being felt in schools across Australia, with teachers and principles... on the frontline seeing the destitution that an already underserved group of young people are facing. #NoChildLeftBehind seeks to mobilise educators and school communities to stand in solidarity with children and families seeking asylum. Brought together by the Refugee Council of Australia, the coalition includes educators, school communities and refugee and asylum-seeking organisations across Australia. Together we urge the Federal Government to extend safety nets to children seeking asylum and their families to ensure that no child is left behind. During Child Protection Week (Sep 6th - 12th) the No Child Left Behind campaign will hold a week of events and resources, both online and in-person, across Australia. How you can get involved in the National Week of Solidarity 1. Sign the education joint statement - Together we will call on the Federal Government to support children and families seeking asylum. Sign here ---> bit.ly/NoChildLeft 2. Attend a Solidarity Webinar led by students from refugee and asylum seeker backgrounds. 3. Hold an event or activity at your school - Teachers, students and parents can access a huge range of free resources in order to hold an event at their own school. More information, resources and registration for webinars can be found here: https://www.nochildleftbehind.com.au/national_week_of_solid

18.01.2022 A recent report by the Refugee Council of Australia has reported on the negative impacts of unemployment and income loss on the health and well-being of temporary visa holders, including people seeking asylum. The report highlights that: - An estimated 19,000 people seeking asylum and refugees on temporary visas will lose their jobs due to the economic shutdown - For this cohort, the unemployment rate is expected to double to 41.8%... - For those who remain employed, 92% will earn less than minimum wage - Homelessness among this cohort is expected to rise to 12%, costing governments an additional $181 million per year in health, justice, social and other services. A case study of the City of Cumberland in NSW focuses on the vast impact the ‘coronavirus recession’ will have locally. The report estimates that 2,587 people seeking asylum and refugees in this LGA will lose their jobs - with 767 of those expected to become homeless. Given this cohort’s increased levels of unemployment and lack of income support, the subsequent stress and socioeconomic disadvantage will put the City of Cumberland at a high risk of COVID-19 transmission. The Federal Government's exclusion of people seeking asylum and other temporary visa holders from COVID-19 income support is not only going to heavily impact the health of this cohort, but put additional and unnecessary strain on a range of government services. https://www.refugeecouncil.org.au///COVID-19-van-Kooy-.pdf

18.01.2022 Back Your Neighbour is supporting the many pleas from the hospitality industry for an increase in government supports whilst economic shutdowns are crippling cafes, restaurants, and bars all across Australia. Leading the charge, is restauranteur, Rinadlo Di Statsio, who has outlined a five-point recovery plan in his open letter to government bodies. Importantly, the five-step approach asks that income support measures, such as JobKeeper and JobSeeker be extended to those on... temporary visas. This income support would be a vital lifeline to many people seeking asylum who, given the current shutdowns, are on the edge of homelessness. The nature of temporary visas mean people seeking asylum are already an over-represented group in the casual workforce. Frequently, they find themselves working in the hospitality industry, one of the sectors most impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent recession. A report commissioned by the Refugee Council into the impact of the recession estimates that almost 19,000 refugees and people seeking asylum will lose their employment as a result of the pandemic. That's an unemployment rate of 41% for this cohort. The report also indicates that 92% of this cohort earn less than the minimum wage, leaving them barely surviving on charitable services, close to homelessness, and without any respite in site. Nobody should be left behind in this pandemic, and that includes refugees and people seeking asylum. #NobodyLeftBehind #BackYourNeighbour https://www.broadsheet.com.au//open-letter-governing-bodie

17.01.2022 Back Your Neighbour is encouraged by the Federal Government's concern regarding the imposition of the National Security Law in Hong Kong and subsequent decision to extend visa entitlements for Hong Kong nationals in Australia. Hongkongers on temporary working, student, and graduate visas will have their visas extended by five years, followed by a pathway to permanent residency in Australia. We ask the Federal Government to extend this visa opportunity and certainty to the te...ns of thousands of people seeking asylum who are currently living in Australia under the uncertainty of a temporary visa. The approach taken by the Federal Government towards the 10,000 Hong Kong nationals living in Australia does not offer automatic residency. It does, however, provide an opportunity and pathway to permanent residency that people seeking asylum in Australia do not have. Back Your Neighbour will continue to advocate for a liveable income and adequate resources for people seeking asylum, in addition to a pathway to permanent residency for all people seeking asylum in Australia. Here is Greater Dandenong Mayor Jim Memeti voicing his concerns:

17.01.2022 Back Your Neighbour and the Mayoral Taskforce Supporting People Seeking Asylum would like to thank Shadow Minister for Multicultural Affairs, Andrew Giles MP, for taking the time to see firsthand the devastating impact that the Federal Government cuts to the Status Resolution Support Services Program are having on people seeking asylum and our local organisations here in Greater Dandenong, as well as Australia wide. Thanks again to all the housing, health, settlement, and foo...d and material aid providers who attended on the day to provide Andrew with an accurate account of how the drastic cuts are affecting our local communities. Here are Andrew and Cr Matthew Kirwan (Greater Dandenong Council) discussing the work that Cocos Community Creating Opportunities has been involved in with assisting those that have been denied a safety net. #BackYourNeighbour

17.01.2022 When you have no access to income suppprt or Medicare, surviving a global pandemic becomes every bit harder. Throughout the COVID-19 health crisis and economic downturn, the Federal Government has left up to to 16,000 children and families (who are seeking asylum) in the cold. These are just some of the things we're hearing on the ground from community agencies assisting those seeking asylum:... "There has been a huge presentation of people who are homeless and who have been cut off [the] Status Resolution Support Services Program" "Many don't have great mental health" "We're only one life event from financial crisis" Watch the video to find out more and to undertsand how local agencies have been left to pick up the pieces of a broken refugee and asylum system. #BackYourNeighbour #NobodyLeftBehind

16.01.2022 Vulnerable individuals in our community have received a lifeline this week from the Victorian Government with $3 million in funding for people seeking asylum now being distributed to the Red Cross, the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre, Monash Health, Improving and Promoting Community Health, Cabrini Refugee and Asylum Seeker Hub, Foundation House and Refugee Legal. This result would not have been possible without the continued support and campaigning from a large number of refugee and asylum seeker advocates and organisations. Back Your Neighbour and the Local Government Mayoral Taskforce Supporting People Seeking Asylum will continue to advocate for the rights of people seeking asylum and for the Federal Government to provide a safety net for those who need it.

15.01.2022 Congratulations to the Local Government Mayoral Taskforce Supporting People Seeking Asylum for their nomination as a finalist for the Australian Migrant and Settlement Awards held in Canberra last week. The awards night served as a perfect opportunity to highlight the amazing work that individuals and organisations around Australia are involved in with welcoming people to our country. Here are some of the highlights from the night, as well as, key MPs and Senators that our Ta...skforce members (Mayor Youhorn Chea and Cr Matthew Kirwan) met with to discuss the challenges faced by people seeking asylum, during their visit to Canberra. #MigrationAwards #BackYourNeighbour

13.01.2022 GPs all across Australia are expressing their concern over the cuts to the Status Resolution Support Services program. Rising cases of food insecurity and homelessness are taking their toll on thousands of people seeking asylum in our community. Let's back our neighbours, and demand that the Federal Government urgently reinstate the SRSS. #BackYourNeighbour #StopSRSSCuts https://www1.racgp.org.au//the-status-resolution-support-s

13.01.2022 https://www.themonthly.com.au//1/zo-morrison/planting-hope As Federal Government cuts to the SRSS dig deeper, more and more people seeking asylum are experiencing ‘unprecedented levels of homelessness, destitution and despair.’ In February’s edition, The Monthly discusses the severity of these cuts, and how local organisations such as Baptcare Sanctuary and Planted Places are finding creative ways in providing people seeking asylum with a grain of hope through the power of ...plants. However, while grassroots organisations are stepping up their services for some of the most vulnerable members of our community, the Federal Government continues to withdraw itself from the unfolding humanitarian crisis. Support the Back Your Neighbour Campaign so that we can ensure a liveable income for people seeking asylum. #BackYourNeighbour #StoptheSRSScuts See more

10.01.2022 Congratulations to Blue Mountains Council in NSW becoming the newest member of the Local Government Mayoral Taskforce for People Seeking Asylum and supporter of the Back Your Neighbour campaign

08.01.2022 Phase 3 is go! Behind the scenes, the Back Your Neighbour campaign has continued to advocate for people seeking asylum in destitution. But in campaign news, at the last meeting of the Executive Members of the Local Government Mayoral Taskforce Supporting People Seeking Asylum, Phase 3 of the Back Your Neighbour campaign was endorsed. Stay tuned for more updates!

08.01.2022 Back Your Neighbour has been keeping busy behind the scenes in the lead up to the Victorian State Budget 2020/21 announcement. Through the Mayoral Taskforce Supporting People Seeking Asylum, we've been meeting with Victorian Ministers encouraging them to extend additional funding for people seeking asylum.... Funding for housing, medication, food and material aid is vitally important, especially since a growing number of people seeking asylum have lost their employment during the COVID pandemic, and are now left without a safety net. Back Your Neighbour thanks the State Government for their $3 million package for people seeking asylum in last year's budget, and we hope that an appropriate extension is made available for this year. #BackYourNeigbour #NobodyLeftBehind

08.01.2022 By signing this petition, tell Mantra until they stop taking money to run a prison in their hotel you won’t stay or attend an event there. Like Back Your Neighbour this campaign is about compassion for those people seeking asylum living among us, this time those who are here to receive medical treatment

04.01.2022 Back Your Neighbour is now recruiting for volunteers - send us a message if you want to know what opportunities are available

04.01.2022 "Volunteers have been great, coming week after week, even with family pressures, challenges, and restrictions, they're here early morning, happily and cheerfully... continuing to provide a service" - Pastor Hilda Samuel As the Federal Government continues to turn a blind eye towards refugees and people seeking asylum, Pastor Hilda and her team of volunteers at the Jesuran Wellness Centre are providing vital services to the community. ... Each week, volunteers pack food supplies for 60 families in the Greater Dandenong area. Many of these families have been cut off from receiving any Federal Government supports. With no income to survive on, food deliveries such these become an essential lifeline. With the ongoing pandemic challenging the way organisations such as Jesuran traditionally operate, Greater Dandenong Council has fortunately stepped in to assist by delivering the weekly food packages to local families. One grateful community recipient stressed that "I think everything given, the food is good... I can't go outside, so the deliveries are helpful". Making up for a broken immigration system takes a lot of community effort, and Back Your Neighbour thanks the Jesuran Wellness Centre for their ongoing support to the local community. Jesuran Wellness Center #BackYourNeighbour #NobodyLeftBehind

03.01.2022 Up to 7000 people seeking asylum, many of whom are children, are cut off from their only safety net of Status Resolution Support Services, and live without income support or medical care. Please sign this petition to protect these and other people seeking asylum and refugees in COVID-19 crisis

01.01.2022 Whilst Melbourne goes back into lockdown, vulnerable Australians, including those seeking asylum face another six weeks of extreme uncertainty and insecurity. Back Your Neighbour has been working hard to alert Scotty from Marketing of the dire situation that exists for people seeking asylum who have no access to financial support and no access to Medicare. Today, dozens of mayors and local leaders from around the country have written to the Prime Minister, calling on him to... extend coronavirus support payments to tens of thousands of asylum seekers living in Australia. Have a listen: https://www.abc.net.au//asylum-seekers-facing-hom/12433130