Since 2018, the Local Government Mayoral Taskforce Supporting People Seeking Asylum has been advocating for the rights of people seeking asylum to the Federal and Victorian Government.
Right now, in Australia there are 90,000 people awaiting for their application for protection to be finalised. This includes people who have waited for close to ten years.
Applications for asylum are clearly stuck in a broken system. This overly slow approach prevents individuals and families gaining the stability that refugee status provides. The result is vulnerable people living on the edge for years, without access to critical support service such as Centrelink, Medicare, public housing, education, mental health and food.
Established and chaired by Greater Dandenong Council, the Mayoral Taskforce Supporting People Seeking Asylum is now made up of 39 councils nationwide, who are banding together to advocate for a fairer and swifter Refugee Status Determination system.
Taskforce purpose:
Coordination of joint state-wide advocacy by Councils and sharing resources and practical responses by communities to the issues caused by negative policies towards people seeking asylum.
If your Council is interested in joining the Taskforce, or would like further information please contact Peter Johnstone, Coordinator, Community Advocacy, City of Greater Dandenong at peter.johnstone@cgd.vic.gov.au.