April 2020 G4R

Vol. 6 No. 4 News

Grandmothers for Refugees - Bendigo Email - [email protected] Bendigo Grandmothers for Refugees Website Victorian Grandmother for Refugees Website FB - Grandmothers for Refugees - Bendigo Twitter - https://twitter.com/grandmothersref Twitter handle @grandmothersref

Advocacy in the age of COVID-19

As meetings are cancelled or move online, this newsletter was delayed until we could bring you reliable news from the Refugee Sector.

For regular updates on how the COVID-19 crisis is affecting the Refugee Sector, please check the following websites. Coffee and Chat

Refugee Council of Australia … https://www.refugeecouncil.org.au/ 10.30am

Tuesday 5 May Refugee Legal … using ZOOM https://refugeelegal.org.au/refugee-legal-covid-19-response/ NB. People seeking asylum in our communities need our support now more than ever, and must be encouraged to continue to engage with To join us … the legal process concerning their applications and interviews. Contact Di

[email protected]

A Statement on COVID-19 from the

Asylum Seeker Resource Centre

The ability for people seeking asylum to survive in the community during the COVID-19 pandemic is seriously under threat right now. … Cancelled …

For those with no income or Government for the foreseeable future support, the ASRC is their only lifeline in this

crisis, providing emergency food, shelter and access to medicine and medical care. Grandmothers Monthly Meetings The ASRC Foodbank and Community Meals Online using Zoom Donate here programs offer food security to over 800 2pm Second Thursday of each month people each week.

Next meeting - 2pm. Thurs, 14 May 2020 Biloela Family Update: … To join meeting, contact Di … On Friday, 17 April, in the Federal Court. Justice Moshinsky ruled that [email protected] Tharunicaa's asylum claim wasn't given 'procedural fairness'. The court also ruled that Tharunicaa did not have the right to have her application automatically assessed.

The Prime Minister could bring them home today if he wanted to.

Please continue to advocate for Priya, Nades and their girls by emailing the govt, and relevant ministers, and shadow ministers. (See page 6)

And sharing a photo of yourself at home with the hashtag #hometoBilo.

EMAIL YOUR MP: Do not forget asylum seekers and refugees during the COVID- 19 pandemic Refugee Council of Australia Right now, thousands of people seeking asylum in Australia have no access to Medicare, no work and no social security. Likewise a breakout of COVID- 19 in any of Australia’s detention facilities would have a devastating effect on people detained there. We are calling on the Federal government to take a number of bold actions to improve individual situations and reduce health risks to the broader community. You can enter your postcode and RCOA will automatically send your email to your local Federal MP!... more

Australian Border Force: great at stopping boats.

Absolutely terrible at stopping cruise liners.

– Ben Eltham, journalist, on Twitter

PETITION: Peter Dutton, release people in detention centres Human Rights for All As an Australian lawyer familiar with how detention centres are run, I am incredibly worried for the health and safety of the people inside these centres, including my youngest client, 2-year-old Isabella who has been in detention her entire life. That’s why I’m calling for the release of these innocent people, before COVID-19 spreads through immigration detention centres ... SIGN

PETITION to protect people seeking asylum and refugees in COVID-19 crisis Asylum Seeker Resource Centre Minister for Families and Social Services Anne Ruston has been delegated special powers to grant social security benefits for the COVID-19 crisis. Minister for Health Greg Hunt has powers over Medicare. Call on PM Morrison, Minister Ruston, and Minister Hunt to introduce emergency measures to protect asylum seekers and refugees ... SIGN

Morrison government urged to help temporary visa holders The Guardian, 21 March Labor has called on the Coalition to extend visa deadlines and relax conditions while coronavirus restrictions are in place. Shadow home affairs minister, Kristina Keneally, said the opposition would support “sensible, temporary and reviewable” measures for temporary visa holders. She said the government needed to consider extending access to health treatment and social security support for more than 1 million visa holders currently in the country, for the sake of the nation’s health. These include temporary protection visa holders, some skilled visas, and people on bridging visas ... more

Manus, Nauru refugees hit by US shutdowns AAP, 23 March Jobs are bountiful in Las Vegas, but the unthinkable happened last week when the coronavirus pandemic shut the city down until at least 16 April. More than 200,000 hospitality workers, including ex- Nauru detainee Maryam Mohammadi who was working as a cashier at a food court, were instantly out of work. “It is terrible,” Ms Mohammadi, who does not have friends or family in the US, said. “I don’t know what I am going to do. I have no money.” Ms Mohammadi was one of the estimated 700 people transferred to the US under the resettlement deal ... more

Doctors warn of deadly coronavirus risks for refugees, at hotel - Brisbane Times, 1 April A group of refugees and asylum seekers medically evacuated from Manus Island say they are terrified of contracting the deadly coronavirus while being held in cramped facilities in a Melbourne motel. More than 1180 health-care professionals have signed a joint letter to the government calling for the men to be released, saying makeshift detention centres like the Mantra Hotel in Preston, where they are being held, represent “a very high-risk environment” for the virus to be transmitted ... more

“If ever we needed reminding that we live in an interconnected world, the novel coronavirus has brought that home.”

COVID-19, knows no borders, no language barriers. It threatens everyone on this planet – including refugees and other displaced people.

Filippo Grandi UN High Commissioner for Refugees https://www.unhcr.org/coronavirus-covid-19.html?

Accurate information about the Coronavirus can be found at: ABC: https://www.abc.net.au/news/story -streams/coronavirus/

Coronacast - https://www.abc.net.au/radio/programs/coronacast/ Coronacast is a podcast that helps to answer your questions about coronavirus or COVID19. We break down the latest news and research to help you understand how the world is living through an epidemic. Listen for free on ABC listen app, Apple Podcasts or Google Podcasts.

Australian Government: https://www.australia.gov.au/

This site is regularly updated to give you the latest Coronavirus news, updates and advice from government agencies across Australia. Check the latest information in your language. Access over the phone support and information. Federal Government's Coronavirus Australia app: available on the App Store, Google Play and the Government's WhatsApp channel

Department of Health The World Health Organization has announced that COVID-19 is a pandemic. Find out how we are monitoring and responding to the outbreak, how you can help slow the spread of COVID-19 in Australia, and what to do if you have symptoms. We also report the latest official medical advice and case numbers.

What you can do from your own home

CALLING ON YOU to email politicians URGENTLY about this important issue

Background Information for letter-writers

• Given their temporary and insecure visa status, many people on Bridging Visas are not able to find secure work - in the current COVID-10 crisis most of those who did have casual work or part- time work are now unemployed. • People seeking asylum are not currently included in the income support arrangements that have been put in place as a COVID-19 crisis response. • Without income support people cannot pay their rent or feed their families and must rely on charity and the goodwill of Australians for rent, food and healthcare to survive. • Charity organisations and local community groups will be overwhelmed in the coming weeks and months due to COVID-19 economic and health impacts. • The Federal Government has rightly responded to the COVID-10 economic crisis by providing income support for people who have no income –people seeking asylum must be included.

Please note that this is focussed on people seeking asylum – people recognised as refugees on TPVs, SHEVs and Permanent Visas are eligible for the equivalent of Job Seeker payments – people on Bridging Visas are not eligible.

It’s very important – we must make every effort to ensure that all people seeking asylum have income support.

Please • email and phone relevant politicians. IMPORTANT: This approach is intended to generate pressure for change through the National COVID cabinet - to overturn the current ‘destitution policy’ favoured by Minister Dutton and PM Scott Morrison. • Email MP for Bendigo, Lisa Chesters [email protected] • Email the Premier of your state • Email Sally McManus - Secretary, Australian Trade Union [email protected] Attn: Sally McManus 1. Email all relevant Federal Ministers including Shadow Ministers by copying all of the email addresses into the Bcc window (click on To and you will see the Bcc window). 2. Once you have emailed, you might also call the Ministers’ offices (see contact numbers on next page)

SAMPLE EMAIL To: Cc Bcc: [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; David.Coleman.MP @aph.gov.au; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; Chris [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected];

SUBJECT: COVID-19 crisis - People seeking asylum need income support - just like everyone else.

Dear Minister Approximately 37,000 people are currently on Bridging Visas awaiting decisions on their application for protection visas.

Many of these people have been supporting themselves in casual insecure work such as hospitality, construction, uber driving etc. and like so many others, many have recently lost this employment. As well, some people have never been able to secure employment, while some have never had the right to work.

None of these people currently have access to Centrelink payments.

Like anyone else, people seeking asylum need basic income support so they can pay their rent and feed their families - without access to basic income individuals and families are becoming homeless and destitute. While charities are doing their best to help, the scale of this situation is beyond their capacity.

Please act decisively to ensure that these people and families have access to income support. Like us all these people are anxious about the COVID-19 risk, and we need to ensure that they can feel secure about maintaining their housing and capacity to cover essential living expenses.

No-one should be left without income support at this time - COVID-19 does not discriminate, and nor should we.

Yours sincerely,

Name Address

3. Tweak and send your email to your local federal MP

4. Email the Premier in your state and encourage them to use their influence in the national COVID-19 cabinet. The states have an interest in persuading the federal government to provide income support for refugees and people seeking asylum

SAMPLE EMAIL To: [email protected] SUBJECT: COVID-19 crisis - People seeking asylum need income support - just like everyone else.

Dear Premier Andrews

Approximately 37,000 people are currently on Bridging Visas awaiting decisions on their application for protection visas.

None of these people currently have access to Centrelink payments.

No-one should be left without income support at this time - COVID-19 does not discriminate, and nor should we.

Yours sincerely,

Name Address

Government Ministers Phone Numbers Phone Senator the Hon. Anne Ruston, Minister for Families and Social Services (02) 6277 7560 The Hon Josh Frydenberg, Federal Treasurer (02) 6277 7920 The Hon Alan Tudge, Minister for Population, Cities and Urban Infrastructure (02) 6277 7200 The Hon Jason Wood Assistant Minister for Customs, Community Safety and Multicultural Affairs (02) 6277 4982 The Hon David Coleman Minister for Immigration, Citizenship, Migrant Services and Multicultural Affairs (02) 6277 4188 The Hon Michelle Landry, Assistant Minister for Children and Families (02) 6277 4373 The Hon Luke Howarth, Assistant Minister for Community Housing, Homelessness and Community Services (02) 6277 4018 Opposition Shadow Ministers Phone Numbers Hon Anthony Albanese, Leader of the Opposition (02) 6277 4664 Hon Richard Marles, Deputy Leader of the Opposition (02) 6277 4330 The Hon Chris Bowen, Shadow Treasurer (02) 6277 4822 Senator the Hon Kristina Keneally, Shadow Minister for Home Affairs, (02) 9891 9139 Shadow Minister for Immigration and Citizenship Hon Linda Burney Shadow Minister for Families and Social Services (02) 6277 4623 Hon Jason Clare Shadow Minister for Housing and Homelessness (02) 6277 4904

In Bendigo

Loddon Campaspe Multicultural Services have 3 initiatives to support families now locked away at home.

1. Home learning packs for mums and bubs to do together that support English learning at home and the option of a weekly face to face catch up with our English Trainer. 2. Food share parcels for vulnerable households, an opportunity also to do welfare checks. 3. A virtual community meal on Fridays collected from the Old Church on the Hill between 10-2pm, prepared by our Food Safari chef and a ‘pay what you can afford’ model.

LCMS advise that they have some home delivery capacity here for those unable to access the collection point.  They have capacity to provide 100 meals worth approximately $10 -$12 each.

 They will share the recipe on line and the idea is that people upload photos at home eating the meal. This will give people a sense of connection and community as well as nutritious food.

 They hope to continue this following COVID -19 as a multicultural community lunch for the whole community.

 The flyer on last page explains how it works.

Send letters to: The Age: [email protected] Bendigo Advertiser: https://www.bendigoadvertiser.com.au/story/6102625/send-a-letter-to-the-editor/?cs=10207 MPs’ and Senators’ addresses are available on the ARAN website - https://aran.net.au/resources/letter-writing-groups/

RAC Victoria event - 6.30pm, Monday, 4 May 2020 - Refugee Racism is a Health Risk: Defend the Right to Protest

Speakers include: Julian Burnside QC - Liberty Victoria spokesperson Craig Foster - Commentator, advocate and former Socceroos captain Chris Breen - RAC activist facing 'incitement' charge Moz from Manus - Refugee detained at the Mantra in Preston

NEWS …

Biloela family may spend months more on Christmas Island waiting on court decision

NB: You may want to write to Nades, Priya and the girls, Kopika and Tharunicaa Address your letter to them at the Immigration Centre, Christmas Island. (Postcode is 6798)

Tamil girl ‘not afforded procedural fairness’ in Biloela family’s asylum bid, Federal Court rules (ABC News) 17 April 2020

Please continue to advocate for Priya, Nades and the girls

Detainees in on-shore detention fear they will die from coronavirus outbreak (10 daily – The Project) 16 April 2020

Three men arrested as riot police end rooftop coronavirus protest at Sydney detention centre (SBS) 16 April 2020

This man has come by boat to two countries without a visa and now he’s facing the coronavirus in an overcrowded prison Papua New Guinea’s Bomana correctional facility (BuzzFeed) 15 April 2020

Hotels are no ‘luxury’ place to detain people seeking asylum in Australia (The Conversation) 14 April 2020

For more refugee news - https://aran.net.au/recent-news/