RAILS in West End | Non-governmental organisation (NGO)

RAILS

Locality: West End

Phone: +61 7 3846 9300

Address: 170 Boundary St 4101 West End, QLD, Australia

Website: http://www.rails.org.au

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• Immigration lawyer
• Non-governmental organisation (NGO)

25.01.2022 Online professional development opportunity! RAILS Senior Solicitor Noel Reeves discusses the current law and practice around offshore humanitarian visas. Date: Tuesday, November 24, 2020 ... Time: 5:30 - 7:00 pm Register to attend here: https://register.gotowebinar.com/regist/7256056973366090256 This 1.5 hour webinar brings CPD points for migration agents and solicitors. Migration Agents, please note this will be a Category A workshop (WK 456) or, if numbers are over 30, a category B seminar (SM 448).

25.01.2022 We are going on a break! RAILS will be closed between 18th Dec 2020 at 12pm and 11th Jan 2021 at 9am. We wish you all a happy break and will see you in the New Year!

25.01.2022 RAILS' team spent last Wednesday team building and preparing RAILS' Strategic Plan for the next three years. It was an interesting and fun day outside of the office!

25.01.2022 'We are people seeking safety and freedom' Farhad Bandesh, after being granted a visa that allowed him to walk away from immigration detention after over 7 years between fences - even though he had committed no crime. Farhad is part of the group of people seeking asylum who was brought into Australia for medical treatment under now repealed medevac laws. Five of them, including Farhad, have been released this week. With the releases this week, the ASRC estimates 194 refugees and asylum seekers brought to Australia under the medevac law remain in detention.

24.01.2022 Our reception will be closed during the Brisbane COVID-19 lockdown, but our team will continue to work. Please contact RAILS by phone at (07) 3846 9300 or by email at [email protected]. Stay safe!

24.01.2022 RAILS has turned 40! Today, we proudly celebrated 40 years of RAILS providing legal assistance to refugees and immigrants in Queensland. We believe that access to justice is a basic right for all people and strive to provide a holistic and sustainable legal service for vulnerable asylum seekers, refugees and migrants. Our organisation endeavours to embody the values of an independent, diverse, client-centred and ethical practice in order to provide our clients with opportun...ity to ensure their rights, regardless of disadvantage. RAILS impact on the live of the many people who have reached out to us in the past 40 years has been extraordinary. We are proud to have assisted thousands of people from over 100 countries who were looking to live in safety. We have learnt from their experiences and are humbled by their resilience. This would not have been achieved without the many individuals who have supported and worked at RAILS through the years: volunteers, staff and management committee members, students, community partners, and the pro bono support provided by law firms, barristers, solicitors and migration agents. The backbone of RAILS over the last 40 years has been the commitment, passion and tireless work of everyone who has been part of this journey and we thank them for their valued contribution. Here is to 40 more years of RAILS fighting the good fight! If you want to read more about our history and the work we do, click here: https://www.rails.org.au/news/rails-40-anniversary

24.01.2022 RAILS will be closed today, 21 October 2020, as we will be having a day of strategic planning and team building. We will reopen tomorrow, 22 October, at 9 am. Apologies for any inconvenience this may cause.

24.01.2022 Thank you to our valued pro bono partners! ‘Even against the backdrop of a pandemic and subsequent economic downturn, Australian legal professionals have completed more pro bono hours than at any point in the last decade. In total, Australian legal professionals undertook 551,427.5 hours of pro bono work in FY20, which marks a 16.5 per cent rise in pro bono hours compared to the previous year.’ The support RAILS receives from pro bono lawyers is essential to our ability to pr...ovide the level of specialised assistance needed by some of our clients. We are immensely grateful for their valued contributions. https://www.lawyersweekly.com.au//29514-report-auslaw-comp

24.01.2022 BREAKING: Senator Jacqui Lambie has said she will vote against the Coalition's bill to ban mobile phones in detention!! Over 100,000 people filled out Senator L...ambie's survey with 96% telling her to vote NO! Firstly, we must recognise the bravery from those held in detention, who have continued to speak out and advocate for their rights. Secondly we thank everyone who filled out the survey and stood for the rights of people seeking #asylum. And finally, we thank Senator Jacqui Lambie for listening. We still have a long way to go, but collectively we can make a difference. And we must continue to raise our voices until all refugees are given the freedom they deserve. #nophonesnolife

24.01.2022 RAILS provides free immigration legal assistance to immigrants, refugees, and asylum seekers in Queensland. We specialise in refugee family reunion, permanent and temporary protection visas, visa cancellations and assistance to people experiencing DV. If you need legal assistance please call (07) 3846 9300 between 9am-5pm Monday to Friday or email [email protected]

24.01.2022 People seeking asylum who are not eligible for a Medicare Card, please know that you can access public hospitals in Queensland free of charge. Translated factsheets providing information about public healthcare access are available in the languages of English, Amharic, Arabic, Dari, Farsi, Tamil, Tok Pisin and Urdu. More information is available from Queensland Health below:... https://www.health.qld.gov.au//translated-asylum-seeker-fa See more

22.01.2022 Today is the International Day of Non-Violence, celebrated on of the birthday of Mahatma Gandhi. As Mahatma Gandhi, leader of the Indian independence movement quoted: 'Non-violence is the greatest force at the disposal of mankind. It is mightier than the mightiest weapon of destruction devised by the ingenuity of man'. The principle of non-violence also known as non-violent resistance rejects the use of physical violence in order to achieve social or political change. Oft...en described as 'the politics of ordinary people', this form of social struggle has been adopted by mass populations all over the world in campaigns for social justice. Through education and public awareness, RAILS endeavours to play a part in espousing the message of non-violence with the desire ‘to secure a culture of peace, tolerance, understanding and non-violence.’ To read further: https://www.un.org/en/observances/non-violence-day

22.01.2022 RAILS is seeking expressions of interest from suitable candidates to fill a new role, ‘Evening Advice Session (EAS) Coordinator’. Candidates will have to be authorised to practice as an unrestricted solicitor/migration agent in Queensland or have the ability to immediately gain registration on this basis. This is a part time position (2 days per week) which requires evening work. Applications close on the 30th November at 5 pm with a view to interview early December. Suitable candidate to begin in the role early January 2021. Please send your application to [email protected] For more information, visit https://www.rails.org.au/get-involved/employment

20.01.2022 Did you know that 4 in 5 refugees are mothers and children? Tell us in a few words below how this makes you feel

20.01.2022 Take a look at this list of works by First Nations authors Have you read any of these titles or know of any other works to share? #NAIDOCWeek2020

17.01.2022 LAST CHANCE: MAKE A TAX-DEDUCTIBLE DONATION AND HELP CHANGE THEIR LIVES https://bit.ly/3uveKcs There are three reasons why we think that you should make a donation today, without delay: 1. People have fled daily violence for a life of safety, but without your help, they risk being sent home and possible death; 2. Access to expert legal assistance means help navigating the very complex process of refugee visa status for women who don’t speak English and who aren’t educated; 3.... Your tax burden will be reduced if you donate before June 30. If you’d like to help secure protection in Australia for women and children fleeing countries that offer them no protection, then please dig deep today. https://bit.ly/3uveKcs Image: 'Hafiza and her mother' by Seema05.

16.01.2022 Today is world kindness day! Here at RAILS we are taking time in the day to spread some kindness around the office. Let us know if you are doing the same! via Shutterstock

14.01.2022 We are elated with the good news about the release, after years of harmful detention, of 46 of the people who had been brought to Australia from offshore centres under medevac laws. Our thoughts are with them and their loved ones, and with those who are still being held in immigration detention around Australia. https://www.abc.net.au//medevac-detainees-have-be/13077296

14.01.2022 Today is International Human Rights Day. RAILS recognises and stands by this day as an opportunity to reaffirm the importance of human rights in re-building the world we want, the need for global solidarity as well as our interconnectedness and shared humanity. How do you or your organisation celebrate Human Rights Day? ... #HumanRightsDay #UDHR

13.01.2022 ***Refugees seeking protection in Queensland need your help, now! PLEASE HELP BY READING, DONATING AND SHARING THE BELOW*** https://www.rails.org.au/donate Here at RAILS, we urgently need to raise funds to be able to meet and respond to the overwhelming number of calls for help from vulnerable refugees. Before COVID-19, we weren’t able to keep up with demand for our assistance, and we’re saddened to say that the situation has worsened in the face of increased hardship. Howe...ver, one of our generous supporters has offered us a lifeline. They’ve agreed to match all gifts up to the value of $20,000, meaning that anything you are able to donate today, will be DOUBLED. https://www.rails.org.au/donate It’s an incredibly generous offer and one that means ensuring that refugees have the very best chance of securing protection here in Australia. $60 would help cover the cost of a legal advice session for a refugee who arrived in Australia by boat. $150 would enable us to place a legal caseworker in one outreach clinic session in the Queensland community. While a gift of $300 would cover the cost of preparing a protection visa application for a family desperately seeking to remain safely in Australia. It is a sad reality that refugees who reach out to us are among the most vulnerable people in our community. Instead of finding peace and safety here in Australia, they often face continued hardship and uncertainty about their future. WITHOUT YOUR HELP, WE SIMPLY CAN’T ASSIST EVERYONE WHO CALLS ON US FOR SUPPORT. Please help raise the vital funds needed, and remember that anything you give today will be matched dollar for dollar. Thank you for whatever you are able to contribute. https://www.rails.org.au/donate

13.01.2022 Why take phones from refugees?

12.01.2022 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australia is made up of many different and distinct groups, each with their own culture, customs, language and laws. Do you know who the traditional owners of the land where you live and work are? #NAIDOCweek2020... RAILS’ acknowledges the Traditional Owners of country throughout Australia, particularly the Turrbal and Yuggera peoples on whose land we work. We pay respect to them and their cultures and to Elders past, present and emerging.

12.01.2022 Recognition of good work. ASRA (Asylum Seeker and Refugee Assistance) program. Governance group presented all ASRA support workers with a recognition certificate. RAILS - Refugee and Immigration Legal Service

11.01.2022 This week we celebrate that the very first footprints on this continent were those belonging to First Nations peoples. NAIDOC 2020 invites all Australians to embrace and celebrate the true history of this country a history which dates back thousands of generations. Let us know in a comment what you are doing to reflect and commemorate this week. RAILS’ acknowledges the Traditional Owners of country throughout Australia, particularly the Turrbal and Yuggera peoples on whose... land we work. We pay respect to them and their cultures and to Elders past, present and emerging. #naidocweek2020

11.01.2022 Online professional development opportunity! Experienced migration agent and lawyer Neha Vaidyanathan, who heads RAILS new Visa Cancellation program, will discuss the current law and practice in this area. Date: Tuesday, October 27, 2020 ... Time: 5:30 - 7:00 pm Register to attend here: https://register.gotowebinar.com/regist/7563406757212947984 This 1.5 hour webinar brings CPD points for migration agents and solicitors. Migration Agents, please note this will be a Category A workshop (WK 805) or, if numbers are over 30, a category B seminar (SM 505

11.01.2022 The UNHCR presented their 2020 Global Trends Report last week, which paints a bleak picture. Last year, in the midst of a global pandemic, millions of people continued to leave their homes behind fleeing wars, violence, persecution and human rights violations. Above one per cent of the world’s population or 1 in 95 people is now forcibly displaced. This increase on numbers of displaced people did not come with an increase on refugee resettlement in safe third countries: r...esettlement registered a drastic plunge - just 34,400 refugees were resettled last year, the lowest level in 20 years a consequence of reduced number of resettlement places and Covid-19. RAILS strives to ensure that displaced people who have made it to Queensland have their best chance at making their case in front of the Australian Government by providing them with free legal assistance, so that they are granted refugee status and don't have to return to the countries they fear. https://www.unhcr.org/flagship-reports/globaltrends/

10.01.2022 The Information Commissioner has determined the Department of Home Affairs interfered with the privacy of 9,251 detainees in immigration detention by mistakenly releasing their personal information. The Australian government has been ordered to pay compensation on a case-by-case basis to asylum seekers whose details were exposed in a massive data breach seven years ago.

10.01.2022 Happy Friday to all of our followers We hope, like this little boy, you’ve got something to smile about today. Hit the smiley emoji if this big grin has brightened your day! via Shutterstock of a young boy in a refugee camp

09.01.2022 REFUGEE FAMILY REUNION SUCCESS STORY The story of a daughter from the Democratic Republic of Congo One of our clients this year wanted to sponsor her 23-year-old daughter for an Australian visa. Our client arrived in Australia from Kenya and had not seen her daughter since 2007. To prove that her daughter was eligible for the refugeevisa as an immediate family member, she needed to prove that the daughter was still dependent even though she was over eighteen: she needed to p...rove that she was, wholly or substantially reliant on her mother for financial, psychological orphysical support. The Department initially rejected that daughter’s application finding that she was not an immediate family member and as such ineligible for the type of visa that we had applied for. RAILS assisted the client re-apply for the visaincluding an even more detailed statement addressing why, despite her age, the daughter remained reliant upon her motherfor financial, psychological and physical support. The Department accepted this second application and the family werereunited after more than 13 years apart. ~ ~ ~ * Some details have been changed to protect client confidentiality. See more

08.01.2022 Of the 3,127 people who sought sanctuary in Australia between July 2013 and December 2014 and were then sent offshore, almost half are still in limbo. About 300 remain offshore, split between Manus and Nauru, while more than 1,000 are in Australia after being evacuated for medical treatment or accompanying someone sick. Hundreds remain in detention in Australia while others have been released into the community on strict conditions. More than 750 have returned voluntarily to their home states, while 20 were forcibly deported. Some 900 have settled in a third country including 870 in the US. And 13 are dead. It has now been more than seven years since offshore processing started, precious years of life for people held away from their families and lives.

08.01.2022 Are you looking for resources to share with kids, and the next generation of change makers, about the plight of refugees? We this picture book by Francesca Sanna. Tag a parent who you think might be interested, or let us know about other great books in your reading list below.

06.01.2022 ECCQ - Ethnic Communities Council of Queensland and RAILS invite you to join this free Online Community Training: Dispute Resolution for Incorporated Associations. RSVP to Claudia on [email protected] to receive your online invitation link!

06.01.2022 Today is the UN International Day of Peace. The International Day of Peace was established in 1981 by the United Nations General Assembly. Two decades later, in 2001, the Day was designated as a period of non-violence and cease-fire. 2020's theme for this date is Shaping Peace Together". COVID-19 has exposed the fault lines in our societies, as marginalized communities suffer more than others from the pandemic’s effects. Solidarity and cooperation across borders, sectors and generations are needed to win this new fight against the worst public health crisis of our time. Lets celebrate the day by spreading compassion, kindness and hope in the face of the pandemic. Lets keep peace and human dignity front and center!

05.01.2022 DO YOU HAVE A CHRISTMAS WISH? Here at RAILS, it’s a simple one.to be in a position to help anyone who calls on us for help. While so many of you have already given generously to help make this possible, and we are now SO CLOSE to reaching our target, we won’t get there without a final push. An incredibly generous supporter of ours has agreed to match all donations made up to the value of $20,000 and we are making sure you all know about it! We’re so desperate to hit thi...s target because for the refugees we help, it has the potential to change their life. If we are to make this wish a reality, we need to secure the vital funds to upscale our team. To those that have donated already, thank you so much! To those who are still considering it, we are SO CLOSE to reaching our target and having donations matched dollar for dollar! If you’d like to help secure protection in Australia for a desperate family, then please dig deep today. https://www.rails.org.au/donate

05.01.2022 We celebrated our semi-remote 2019-20 AGM on Tuesday, in which RAILS new Management Committee was appointed. We welcomed two new members, Kelly Morrow and Narelle Shuterland, and we said 'see you soon' to three long standing members of RAILS board. We thank our outgoing Management Committee for their commitment to RAILS through the past year and for their insightful contributions, and we welcome the incoming members and look forward to the new year! https://www.rails.org.au/about-us/management-committee

02.01.2022 ABC's Radio National recently featured an interview about the inner workings of Australian migration law, following the recent interest in the Murugappan family's attempt to remain in Australia. Interviewee Sarah Dale, Principal Solicitor at RACS, particularly emphasised the unjust difference in outcomes for those who arrive in Australia by plane, and by boat. She said, "people who are arriving by plane and people who are arriving by boat are often fleeing the same conflicts..., they are often fearing the same harms, the difference being that one person was able to access potentially an embassy, one person was able to access their passport when they fled and therefore get a visa... it really is just a matter of the resources available to you at the time of fleeing." The interview also draws focus to the complex process of seeking asylum in Australia when arriving by boat and the impact on those who are not granted refugee status upon arrival. You can listen to the full interview, also featuring Associate Professor in Law at Murdoch University, Mary Anne Kenny, here: https://www.abc.net.au//how-do-migration-and-ref/13389474

01.01.2022 Happy Diwali! We would love to hear how you celebrate! Let us know in a comment below!

01.01.2022 RAILS’ Christmas fundraising appeal has now concluded. This was our first fundraising appeal and whilst we didn’t reach our target, we are elated with the result and the wonderful support we received from the community. All funds raised will fund our Unrepresented Asylum Seekers program, created in 2014 to assist any asylum seekers who arrive in Australia by boat and require basic legal support and the opportunity for a new, safe life in Queensland. We want to express our ...sincere gratitude and thanks to everyone who donated to the campaign, shared it and supported RAILS. THANK YOU! We appreciate you and all you do to allow us to continue our work! We will run our next fundraising appeal in June and are looking forward to sharing it with you!