Annual report - Australian Red Cross

Assisting asylum seekers,
refugees and immigration
detainees
Assisting asylum seekers, refugees
and immigration detainees
Australian Red Cross provides
assistance to eligible asylum seekers
living in the community who have
a current Protection (Refugee) Visa
application. The Asylum Seeker
Assistance Scheme was established
in 1992 and is funded through the
Department of Immigration and
Multicultural Affairs.
Australian Red Cross
P8
Since July 2005, Red Cross has
taken a leading role in providing
for immigration detainees under
the Australian Government’s new
‘residence determination’ provisions,
again funded by the Department.
Case workers coordinate welfare
assistance including housing,
health care and education.
Community care pilot
In May 2006 Red Cross was engaged
as the lead agency in a Community
Care pilot to improve the health and
welfare of vulnerable people in
Australia’s immigration system.
The pilot is expected to show that if
people are given adequate support
during the immigration process, then
they will be in a better mental,
emotional and physical state to handle
the decisions.
Dave Tacon
Responding to community needs
During the past 12 months Red Cross has also worked with community welfare
agencies – in particular the Victorian Foundation for Survivors of Torture and the
Department – to support former immigration detainees resettled from the Nauru
Offshore Processing Facility in October 2005, and West Papuan refugees relocated
from Christmas Island in April 2006.
Red Cross also assisted the East Timorese evacuated to Australia as a result of
the recent conflict in May 2006. Support provided included accommodation, food,
health care and general orientation into the community.
Profile
Leanne Robinson is an exceptional young woman. When the 23-year-old PhD
student isn’t conducting research into malaria immunology, she gives up her
weekends to assist recently arrived refugees settle into their new lives in Melbourne.
Last year Red Cross volunteers assisted more than 700 people settling in Victoria.
Support included outreach and orientation in the local community, household
goods, work preparation and employment assistance.
‘As part of the outreach and orientation team, I help newly arrived refugees find
their way around. I show the clients around the public transport system or
accompany them to appointments and just give advice on services available,’
says Leanne.
Leanne’s dedicated service earned her a place representing Australian Red Cross
at the Turkish Red Crescent’s Youth Camp in Istanbul. The aim of these
international conferences is to give young volunteers the opportunity to share their
volunteering experiences, learn new skills and to bring fresh ideas back to their
local Red Cross or Red Crescent Society.
Image: Leanne Robinson and Gökhan, a Turkish Red Crescent team leader
at the Turkish Red Crescent Youth Camp in Istanbul.