By CAM LUCADOU-WELLS
A “FRUSTRATED” head of a voluntary asylum-seeker help group has called for Greater Dandenong Council to inject more “practical funding” into the cause.
In recent years, Greater Dandenong Council has established an advisory group and an action plan focused on asylum seekers and refugees.
The council has also led a joint push by 20 Victorian councils for more federal funding for asylum seeker services and co-ordination.
But Friends of Refugees chief executive Sri Samy said after two years of talks with the council, it had yet to create a centralised body to co-ordinate the plethora of volunteers and groups helping hundreds of asylum seekers in the community.
“They say they don’t have the money with rates-capping and things.
“They just do the symbolic things. They design an action plan and beautiful flags but what have they done for asylum seekers who are actually living there.
“We have so many meetings but they’re wasting my time.”
Ms Samy said despite the council’s advocacy to the Federal Government, she held little hope of more federal support to help house, feed, teach and clothe the families.
“The Federal Government just handballs it.
“They just want these people to go back (to their homelands) in frustration.”
Over the past few years, the need has been enormous in Melbourne’s south-east. As of December, there were more than 1600 asylum seekers on bridging visas and another 2000 in surrounding suburbs.
Without any form of government funding, Friends of Refugees collects bikes for children at Christmas, set up a men’s woodwork shop, women’s support groups, English and work skills classes, children’s homework tuition and pitched in with food, beds, fridges and other necessities.
Ms Samy said she was frustrated the ‘professionals’ such as government-funded agencies and the three tiers of government can’t do or spend more.
It’s a system that “doesn’t care enough”.
Employed people from funded agencies help only 9-5 and within their budgets, she said.
They often refer clients to Friends of Refugees for a chop-out.
Greater Dandenong community services director Mark Doubleday said the council worked with many local agencies and groups to encourage co-operation and co-ordination of asylum-seeker services.
Eligible not-for-profit groups were also able to seek council funding through its community support grants program, he said.
Mr Doubleday said the action plan had led to raising the profile of asylum-seeker needs, positive messages of welcome, forums and celebrations, language classes and conversation circles, volunteering programs for asylum seekers, work skills programs and sporting activities.
“Over the next 12 months, implementation of the (action plan) continues with priorities to improve education, employment and social opportunities for asylum seekers and refugees in Greater Dandenong.”
