The cost of seeking asylum in Australia BY David Winderlich
People Smugglers aren’t the only ones who want their money!
The 30,000 people who arrived in Australia by boat over several years fled to escape prison, torture and death, leaving everything behind, including their homes, families, friends and possessions.
They paid people smugglers for the privilege of a dangerous journey across the open sea in a leaky boat and spent months in detention, being released into the community on a reduced Centrelink rate (89 per cent) without the right to work.
After two to three years of uncertainty and financial hardship, they are invited to apply for a three-year Temporary Protection Visa or a five year Safe Haven Enterprise Visa. The chance of having temporary safety requires a migration agent, costing $3,000 to 5,000 per person and even more for families.
About 20 per cent of particularly vulnerable asylum seekers including minors and the extremely mentally ill may qualify for government assistance, but the vast majority have to find the money themselves, with many still not working or only working a few hours a week. Hence the quote at the beginning of this article which was expressed by an asylum seeker, who was frustrated at the endless and unnecessary suffering to which they were being subjected to.
The Refugee Advocacy Service of South Australia provides a pro-bono migration agent service for asylum seekers, but it cannot keep up with demand.
Groups such as the Circle of Hope and the Circle of Friends have formed to assist asylum seekers to pay the cost of their migration agents and other major costs as well.
Many good-hearted Australians are dismayed, even depressed by how mean and cruel our country has become in its response to refugees. Fundraisers such as the silent movie night at Hope’s Café solve those bigger problems, but they only help secure safety for just one individual or one family.
It’s an expression of the original motto of Amnesty International, “it is better to light a candle than to curse the darkness.”
By David Winderlich
Spire Community Manager
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