AIRAR chips in to fund a refugee’s freedom

THE Aireys Inlet Rural Australians for Refugees (AIRAR) has raised $18,500 in just three weeks in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic to fund the freedom of a refugee detained on Nauru, through resettlement in Canada.
The campaign was originally planned to be launched in April by Surf Coast Shire mayor Rose Hodge.
AIRAR originally considered putting the fundraising on hold following the outbreak of the pandemic and the imposition of restrictions imposed, but decided to press ahead after hearing from the Refugee Council of Australia that the processing of refugee sponsorship applications to Canada was still continuing.
The group went about this challenge by first establishing a Golden Pledge program where people pledged $500 to the campaign, and then opened it up to pledges of $50 or more.
“We have been overwhelmed by the community’s generosity,” Free a Refugee campaign committee convenor Kathryn Feather said.
“Even in these tough times, with people facing enormous hardships, they have given huge support to this campaign. It really has exceeded all our expectations. We dared to dream, and we achieved it.”
Under the Canadian Government’s private sponsorship scheme, an application through the Refugee Council of Australia can only proceed once the money has been paid. The funds are then used to support the refugee’s living costs for the first year after arriving in Canada. Volunteer teams across Canada are assisting all new arrivals.
The Refugee Council’s partner in Canada, MOSAIC, has submitted 44 applications since December, for 44 refugees and 44 separated family members.
MOSAIC is working on the next 24 applications and hopes to be able to submit most of these applications by the end of this month.
The applications are submitted to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada to assess whether they meet the basic criteria for further consideration, and if so, are then sent to the Canadian High Commission’s visa office in Sydney for detailed consideration to begin.
All applications for the 88 refugees submitted to IRCC so far have been forwarded for further processing. This work is ongoing despite the COVID-19 pandemic and the temporary closure of Canada’s borders.
Free a Refugee committee member and AIRAR member Jules Rolfe said many of the refugees have been detained for more than six years “with no prospect of a future”.
“This is such a positive campaign – giving those with seemingly no hope, the chance of a new life in a new country where they will be welcomed. This clearly resonated with the community. There was a readiness to do something at a time when it appeared nothing could be done on this front.”
AIRAR raised $21,500 in all, and the excess amount will be donated to the Refugee Council to be put towards another refugee trying to get to Canada.