Every June we celebrate Refugee Week.
This year's celebration is from 15-21 June, and has the theme Finding Freedom: Diversity in Community.
Join us at the Springvale Town Hall on Sunday 15 June, from 10am-3pm, for a family-friendly community celebration.
In December 2018 we launched the Back Your Neighbour Campaign to support people seeking asylum across Australia.
We are proud that today, the taskforce includes more than 40 local governments, community organisations and peak refugee bodies across the nation and has advocated to the State and Federal governments for the rights of thousands of men, women and children seeking asylum.
Greater Dandenong Mayor, Councillor Jim Memeti said, “We can all help support our neighbours, friends and community members who urgently need certainty and support to rebuild their lives safely.
“This Refugee Week (June 15-21) please visit the Back Your Neighbour website to watch video interviews with Zia, Nayran and Ramzi and learn how you can support the taskforce’s important work by signing our petition and reaching out to your MP.”
The campaign calls for the Federal Government to:
- Provide everyone with a valid visa with work, travel and study rights.
- Expand the Status Resolution Support Services Program so that people can access basic healthcare, employment and crisis support.
- Ensure timely and fair application and merits review process for all humanitarian applications.
- Provide people who have received a negative refugee determination under the ‘Fast Track’ system with a fair review.
- Continue to invest resources to clear the backlog of applications and appeals.
- Abolish temporary visas and replace them with pathways to citizenship for all humanitarian arrivals.
Visit the Back Your Neighbour website to stay up to date on this advocacy campaign.
