“PLEASE give more” is the call from Brisbane’s Romero Centre to the wider community.
The centre, established in 2000 by the Sisters of Mercy and sponsored by Mercy Family Services, is warning that charitable organisations will come under increased pressure over the next few months.
The centre’s multicultural advocacy and community development manager Faiza El-Higzi said a move to release asylum-seeking families into the community on “no advantage” bridging visas would put extra pressure on organisations at a time when they were already stretched.
Ms El-Higzi said Australia dealt with refugees and asylum seekers in three ways, with “no advantage” bridging visas being the most punitive.
“Some stay in detention, some are streamlined to community detention and others are streamlined into bridging visas and this is probably the worst policy,” she said.
Ms El-Higzi said it was especially difficult for those who arrived after August 13 last year and were subject to the “no advantage” bridging visas.
These deny asylum seekers the right to work. They have to fend for themselves in the community on a welfare payment less than the Newstart Allowance.
“They … are supposed to wait in limbo for a long time for their claims to be assessed,” she said.
Ms El-Higzi said those released on “no advantage” bridging visas had access to six weeks of support from groups such as the Red Cross before they had to fend for themselves.
“Their (welfare payment, less than the Newstart Allowance) has to cover everything such as rent, transport, utilities, food, clothing but they are not allowed to work,” she said.
Ms El-Higzi said that, until recently, only young adult men were streamed onto bridging visas but now families would be added to those numbers.
“For the cohort going to bridging visas there are significant issues because they will have to learn to live in poverty,” she said.
“There are (also) challenges in terms of language, understanding of culture and cost of transport here in Queensland.
“So with limited access to support or access to understanding what is happening I think there will be significant issues including over-crowding.”
Ms El-Higzi said existing bridging visa-holders were moving into cheaper outlying suburbs.
“Community groups can help to some extent and there will be an increased reliance on charitable organisations, Church and religious-based groups, such as the St Vincent de Paul Society, to fill the gap that the Government has created by the ‘no advantage’ policy.”
The Romero Centre’s volunteer co-ordinator Rebecca Lim said the centre was already experiencing a significant increase in people accessing emergency support.
“We have large numbers of bridging visa-holders come for English classes and we are seeing people walking three or four hours to get here because of the cost of transport,” she said.
“Our emergency relief has expanded to giving out warm clothing and blankets.
“We have knitting groups doing beanies for us, and children’s clothing, and I am keeping that aside at the moment in preparation for these families.”
Ms Lim said if the situation progressed the way the Romero Centre anticipated, it would be very difficult to meet the demand.
“I’m not sure where we are going to get more donations,” she said.
