MESSAGE BOARD—June & July

16 June, 7.30pm Right to Refuge: Oxfam meeting. Living & Learning Centre, 739 Main Rd, Eltham.

19 June MASSG meeting, 2pm, Montmorency Community Church, 24 Mayona Rd. Come meet Mahdi.

18 June – 24 June: World Refugee Week.

20 June 6pm, State Library of Victoria World Refugee Day Protest.

Sunday 25 June: 1.45—4pm Voices from Detention free open forum, MASSG & St Francis Xavier Social Justice Group. The same coa-lition is now planning our

next event—Friday

28th July, an evening meeting, with Julian Burnside. Details to come...

Montmorency Asylum Seekers Support Group

Our aim is to support people who have sought asylum in Australia and to defend and promote their right to do so. We do this by

assisting individuals in our community, by contributing to the ASRC (Asylum Seekers Resource Centre), by raising awareness

and compassion within our community and by campaigning for changes in government policies and practices.

WHAT CAN I DO TO HELP?

Check our flyer of suggestions, to help you if you want to help by * getting and sharing information * joining a group or starting one * making yourself heard * volunteering (see page 2) * donating time, goods or money—

this way, for example...

You’ll find it here: —please send it round to your friends.

Have you booked your place for our free event: Voices

from Detention? Click here to book. No, you don’t have to book, but it helps our arrangements. Event de-tails here. The exhibition They Cannot Take the Sky: Stories From De-tention is at Immigration Museum to 2 July.

Newsletter of MASSG, June 2017

Here’s a way to help— donate for legal support Those on bridging visas suffered a shocking change of government poli-cy last month. Read about the new threat on page 2. The ASRC launched an appeal to support legal services for those affected. MASSG contribut-ed immediately. Much more money is needed; you can help with a per-sonal contribution —https://www.asrc.org.au/keepthemsafe/.

Mahdi builds a future There’s an update on our home page. Almost two years ago we wrote about Mahdi, his wife Samaneh and their baby daughter, who are seek-ing asylum from persecution in Iran. Mahdi had started full-time employ-ment with David’s Home Maintenance Service, a local business based in Montmorency, working around the northeastern suburbs. His customers have come to know Mahdi as energetic, resourceful and hard working, adept at a broad range of tasks….all done with a smile.

Now, Mahdi has launched his own business, Banyule Maintenance and is taking on new customers. David has taken a step back and plays a mentoring role. Mahdi does small maintenance and building projects using carpentry, plumbing and painting skills, and landscaping jobs including retaining walls and paving.

Mahdi would welcome your enquiries on 0469 592 941. Come to meet him and hear of his story at the MASSG meeting Monday 19th July.

An Iranian-Australian wedding Our asylum seeker friend Roya married her partner Morteza on 10 June, and celebrated with a wedding party at the home of MASSG members in Kangaroo Ground. The Iranian dance music kept the kangaroos away, but the evening sun on the Great Dividing Range framed the couple perfectly. Our congratula-tions to Roya and Morteza, and hopes for their happy future in Australia. Thanks to those who contributed to our gift for them.

What’s happening at MASSG?

Here are highlights from May:

Members ran a stall in Were St during Volunteers Week .

Planning for Refugee Week Voices from Detention event with St Francis Xavier Social Justice Group.

Working out details for event with Julian Burnside in July (organised by the same partnership)

Discussions with Banyule Council representative India Mortlake broadened our efforts to help local asylum

seekers.

Full minutes of our meetings are always available on our website.

For more about MASSG, go to https://massgblog.wordpress.com/.

Or contact us by email at massginfo@gmail.com.

Dutton’s latest attacks on visa applicants

For several years the Federal government has prevented people living in the community on Bridging Visas from applying for the protection they desperately need. Now Immigration Minister Dutton is threatening them with loss of benefits and deportation if they cannot meet a new deadline. Do you know how this trap has been set? The people Dutton is attacking were prevented by his department from applying for asylum until late last year. They had to wait to be "invited" to do so. In the meantime, the Turnbull government has taken away the legal aid that used to help people applying for asylum. Now long queues of peo-ple wait to get access to legal assistance from lawyers provided by charities. The law insists that no-one but a quali-fied migration agent can give legal advice on such matters. The following factors are barriers for people seeking asylum: The complicated application process, which includes a 60 page application form and separate written state-

ment with all the details of their claim for asylum, which must all be completed in English. This would be daunting for even an English speaker. Documents and detailed information must be obtained, often from overseas, and applicants have to prepare for a demanding interview.

Many of these people are suffering post-traumatic stress from experiences both before their arrival in Aus-tralia and from their time in detention. Recalling all the information requested and then facing an inter-view can be extremely traumatic.

Lawyers and interpreting fees are beyond the means of most. They have few savings, having been prevented from working for long periods of time by circumstance beyond their control. So long queues of people wait to gain access to pro bono or volunteer lawyers provided by organisations like the ASRC. In Victoria alone, there are 4,000 people who need to apply.

Naturally the chance of a successful application is much higher if a lawyer is used. As well as vilifying innocent people, Dutton is now trying to pres-sure them into applying without the legal help they need. Do you want to know more—and help? For latest news of the changes, stories of those affected, and ways you can contribute towards legal help for them, go to https://www.asrc.org.au/ https://refugeelegal.org.au/about-us-2/what-we-do/ http://www.refugeecouncil.org.au/publications/recent-changes-australian-refugee-policy/.

Volunteers needed Baptcare Sanctuary in Preston provides transitional housing and support for people seeking asylum. Many of them need assistance and support to access resources for daily living and to build up skills essential for independent living within the Australian community. Baptcare is looking for people who can commit to volunteering to assist their cli-ents weekly (or as the role requires) for 6-12 months. Contact Hazel at hrice@baptcare.org.au or ring her on 8480 9012.

Newsletter of MASSG, June 2017 p.2