Jesuit Refugee Service - JRS to shelter asylum seekers in Sydney

JRS to shelter asylum seekers in Sydney

By Louise Stack

Some asylum seekers living in the community are permitted to work and support themselves while they wait for their immigration status to be determined. There are however a number of asylum seekers who are placed on bridging visas with extremely restrictive conditions, who have no right to work, to access Medicare or claim Centrelink benefits. These people reside lawfully in the community yet are totally dependent on the welfare sector for their most basic needs. They are often at great risk of homelessness or forced to rely on inadequate and insecure accommodation for lengthy periods of time.

The Jesuit Refugee Service is in the process of developing a long-term project to meet the urgent need for adequate housing for asylum seekers in the Sydney community. There are few housing providers or welfare agencies in Sydney that are specifically targeting the housing needs of this particular group, and the JRS seeks to help fill this gap. Having stable accommodation can make a world of difference to someone who has been forced to make a new life in a foreign place, with few resources and contacts to draw upon.

The issue is fundamentally about ensuring the basic right of human beings to adequate shelter. This is enshrined in a number of human rights covenants to which Australia is a signatory, and part of the rationale behind JRS’ involvement with this project is to address this issue and strive to uphold this most basic of human rights. This is not about providing welfare, it is about working to guarantee that the human rights of asylum seekers are acknowledged and respected.

One of the key components of the project will be to ensure that residents are properly supported and linked to the community in which they are living. For those who have no work rights, nor even a right to undertake voluntary work or study, the level of everyday boredom and frustration is immense and can have a severe impact on an individual’s mental health and sense of control over his/her own life. It is therefore very important that a volunteer network be established with regular contact and support given to the residents.

Work is being done to create strong links with agencies that are already working with asylum seekers in Sydney, such as the Asylum Seekers Centre, the House of Welcome and the Australian Red Cross. In this way, JRS hopes to further strengthen the overall support being given to asylum seekers and offer assistance in an area which to date has largely been lacking in resources and capacity.

Of course in order to provide housing we need to first secure property and this may be one of the greatest challenges to begin with, particularly as Sydney is facing a serious shortage of housing across the board. There is no doubt however that a real need exists for this group of asylum seekers and with a little energy, enthusiasm and community support we hope to provide safe and secure accommodation to these vulnerable people and enable them to live with dignity until a decision is ultimately made on their application for protection.