Compassionate Resettlement for Refugees forum
What Australia can learn from New Zealand's compassionate resettlement of refugees.
You are invited to join this forum on Compassionate Resettlement for Refugees, this Saturday 10 September 2022.
When: Saturday 10 September 2:00 -3.15 pm AEST.
Where: Attend in-person at St Paul’s Cathedral, Melbourne, corner Swanston & Flinders Street, Melbourne. OR View the livestream on YouTube here https://youtu.be/nAsiLBnp4V8
Register: by Friday 9 September. Book your ticket here. After registering, you will receive confirmation email containing the link to join the online forum.
Tickets are free but pre-booking is preferred, but not essential.
If you can join in person at St Paul’s Cathedral we look forward to seeing you on the day, or otherwise join online for this important discussion.
Speakers:
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Abbas Nazari, Tampa refugee who was resettled in New Zealand and author of the book After Tampa. Abbas is a very compelling and engaging speaker, and will also sign books at the end of the session. |
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Zaki Haidari is a refugee from Afghanistan who arrived nearly 10 years ago, but is still has not been granted permanent protection by Australia. |
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Dr Claire Loughnan is a co-convenor of Academics for Refugees and has undertaken extensive research on Australia’s refugee policies. |
Help: Please forward this information through your networks – please include the YouTube link for online access and share the Facebook event https://www.facebook.com/events/454176886582012
Download flyer: pdf Forum 10 Sept 2022 Compassionate Resettlement for Refugees (239 KB)
The forum is organised by Refugee Advocacy Network in conjunction with Academics for Refugees, Victorian Council of Churches, St Paul’s Cathedral, and Amnesty International Australia
‘CRISP’ program: the Community Refugee Integration and Settlement Pilot.
Welcome new Australians to your community
Finally - you can now sponsor and welcome the next refugee household to arrive in Australia.
CRSA is inviting people across Australia to participate. Local groups of five or more adults can put their hands up to welcome new refugees from overseas. Local clubs, businesses and faith groups can encourage groups to form and support their important work in a variety of ways.
If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed at the scale of the global refugee situation, this is your chance to help - one family at a time. Get involved and experience the joy and satisfaction of working with others in your local community to change a family’s life.
Apply to be involved
- Formed a group? Fill in the group intention to apply form
- Still looking for a group? Fill in the individual expression of interest form to put yourself on our radar and then, if you need to, head over to our find a group Facebook page to find like minded people from your area.
How does it work?
The new national ‘community sponsorship’ program, introduced by the federal government, is based on the popular 40-year-old Canadian model that has seen more than 325,000 refugees rebuild their lives in Canada.
Under this model, locals form a group to welcome a refugee household to their area and provide support over the next year. The group meets the new arrivals at the airport and helps them settle into their new home and community. The group needs to raise a modest budget to help with income support for the first couple of weeks, household furniture and temporary accommodation; but refugees can work and have access to Centrelink support, Medicare and other mainstream government services.
Ongoing support might include help with school or uni applications, setting up bank accounts, driving lessons or introducing them to a local business that is looking for staff.
Increased refugee numbers
The program is being delivered by Community Refugee Sponsorship Australia (CRSA) and will support 1,500 refugees referred by the UNHCR to the Australian government for resettlement between now and 2025. CRSA has tested this approach over the last two years, helping people like Zara (see below). Volunteers say they’ve loved the challenge, often saying it’s the most satisfying thing they’ve ever done and some (like James below) signing up to support a second family.
In a positive development, the Albanese Government has plans to make the places additional to the current refugee quota, which means in the future the efforts of everyday Australians will boost Australia’s overall refugee intake as well as offering a warm and personal reception.
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Zara's story* “I fled Afghanistan with my family Then we got a call from Shabnam at CRSA to ask if we were interested in receiving help from a local group of volunteers. I said that's going to be wonderful and very helpful. James* and his group helped us with everything! We found a free TAFE program and studying again made life feel more normal. When I graduated six months later, James helped me get my CV prepared and through his network I got an interview and a job. I am so happy working at work! They trust me to have access to the company’s confidential information and systems that I need to do my work - I feel included in the team and the work that I do really matters. They all make me feel welcome and I feel that I belong to this community. It’s hard when you arrive: you are not familiar with the culture, the environment, the language or the regulations. The group can help you get to know the city and with getting a better job or continuing studies. This help is so important for people who are newly here.” * names changed for privacy |
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| Above: image courtesy of The Australian Women’s Weekly by photographer Alana Landsberry. | |
one year ago, when the Taliban took over the government. It was very strange in Australia - everything was new and there were a lot of challenges! I had been studying for a Bachelor of Economics in Kabul and I wanted to get into an education program here, but I was feeling totally lost. An opportunity for regional and metropolitan areas
The program is driven by local demand, as members of a local community instigate the process of inviting a refugee family to come and live in their local area. The group can be located anywhere in Australia: regional and rural communities can welcome new arrivals as well as their city cousins. This is a great opportunity for communities wishing to boost their populations or workforces.
Find out more
- Watch a two minute video about welcoming refugees
- Read about the CRISP program on CRSA’s website
- Watch the 35 minute recorded information session to find out more
Australian Churches Refugee Taskforce (ACRT) is an activity of the National Council of Churches in Australia (NCCA).
We believe our faith calls us to welcome the stranger and care for the people who find themselves displaced, marginalised or homeless, and those in need of protection. We want to see a compassionate and generous response to welcoming refugees into Australia.
