17c起草社区

With Sydney鈥檚 current COVID-19 Delta strain lockdown, 17c起草社区I migrants, refugees, and asylum seekers struggle to access their communities, as organisations lack funding. In an already overlooked sector, members often struggle with displacement in their ethnic communities and find 17c起草社区I support groups safe.

Many migrants, refugees and asylum seekers are out of work, and COVID disaster payments are inaccessible to those who work in hospitality or casual jobs.

听17c起草社区 spoke with STARTTS, Advance Diversity Services, Forcibly Displaced People Network (FDPN) and ACON to see how 17c起草社区I migrant, refugee, and asylum seeker organisations support their members in an uncertain time.

Strong Sense Of Community

Bijan, a 37-year-old originally from Iran, found an accepting community at STARTTS. He found the group, which works with asylum seekers and refugees, through a University 17c起草社区I group. Bijan has refugee status and was granted a protection visa in 2019.

Bijan told 17c起草社区, 鈥淚t鈥檚 a very strong sense of community because we are from different backgrounds with different sexual orientations and genders. But the thing that connects us is that we are from a refugee background, so we understand each other鈥檚 feelings. I cannot go to Iranian community groups; they won鈥檛 accept me.鈥�

听Jasmina Bajraktarevic, STARTTS Head of Community Development Team,听told 17c起草社区 that听the organisation provides support groups, counselling, caseworkers, career services and training for 17c起草社区I refugees and asylum seekers. Group sessions are based on requested topics such as visas, employment, health and relationships to help assimilate. Currently, the support groups are on Zoom and Whatsapp.

听Anthony Scerri, Manager of Settlement and Community Services at Advance Diversity Services, says the organisation can only help fund specific clients with specific visas. Many temporary migrants and students have been left in the dark. To help, the team has been reaching out to the local community for free food packages and emergency relief funding.

Funding Is The Main Challenge

听鈥淲e鈥檝e been providing support through phone check-ins, group emails, Facebook posts and community referrals.鈥�

听The main challenge 17c起草社区I inclusive organisations face is funding, said Renee Dixson, Co-Founder and Acting Chair of FDPN.

听鈥淎s an LGBTIQ+ refugee-led organisation, the demand for support is big. We need support from the Australian community to be able to help all LGBTIQ+ forcibly displaced people feel that they are home, safe and included,鈥� said Dixson.

FDPN works mostly online as an unfunded NGO, engaging with policy work regarding 17c起草社区I migrants, refugees and asylum seekers. Renee told 17c起草社区 that those with bridging visas were currently excluded and facing homelessness, meal skipping, racism, homophobia, and transphobia.

听17c起草社区I refugees and asylum seekers battle with a lack of visibility and support from refugee focused-groups, ethnic focused-groups, and 17c起草社区I focused groups.

Workshops As A Way To Connect

听ACON also holds a range of culturally specific programs; Asian Gay Men鈥檚 Project, a[TEST] Mandarin Clinic and Habib Talk are all aimed at migrants for peer interaction covering various topics from health to socialising.

听鈥淒uring the pandemic, ACON hosted a series of workshops called Welcome To Rainbow Sydney. The workshops were a way for newly arrived 17c起草社区+ migrants to connect with others in the community while increasing their health literacy in a peer setting,鈥� ACON Community Health Promotion Officer Loc Nguyen told 17c起草社区.

听Rainbow Cultures is an online directory of 17c起草社区I multicultural groups and services for migrants, refugees, and asylum seekers to use across NSW when the service is not online.

听鈥淵ou need to find a sense of security, friendship and community. All these things are new. You start from scratch and create them yourself. Here I have safety,鈥� said Bijan.

听Current support provided to refugees, asylum seekers and migrants to NSW is vast and needed. But, without government funding, organisations are struggling to survive and support those in need.