Major progress made on settling refugee family in Aireys

AIREYS Inlet Rural Australians for Refugees (AIRAR) has made major progress in their efforts to help a family of refugees resettle on the Surf Coast, and expect the family will make the move after Easter.

AIRAR’s “Bring them Here” project is a part of the Community Refugee Integration and Settlement Pilot (CRISP) program, which has been inspired by the successful Canadian community refugee sponsorship scheme, and is supported by the federal government.

The program started in Australia last July and is aiming to resettle 1,500 refugees in three years.

These refugees will be granted permanent residency by the government.

“Bring Them Here” co-ordinator Jules Rolfe said the refugee families in CRSIP were presently offshore in countries including Syria, Afghanistan, and Myanmar.

“They are in dire situations and the UN High Commission for Refugees has identified them as being in urgent need of resettlement.”

The family will have access to Centrelink support and will aim to get employment as soon as possible, but will need extra financial support once they arrive in Australia in the order of $25,000-$30,000 for the year.

AIRAR is on track to fundraise this amount in the space of only two months, and has also secured accommodation for the family between Easter and just before Christmas.

“This is both an exciting and challenging undertaking,” Ms Rolfe said.

“We will support the family for their first 12 months in Australia, and help them to find housing, employment, a car, and access to education, medical and social services.

“Helping them to get used to their new country and living on the Surf Coast will also be a key priority.”

She said it was “terrrific to be doing something positive” about refugees and refugee-related issues.

“While the government has moved in terms of policy, it has been a pretty depressing area.

“I think that has really resonated with the community; that it’s such a positive initiative and we’re providing a chance for a family to start a new life. It’ll be life-changing for those families.

“It’s very rewarding, I think, for us but also for the broader community who have really got right behind it.

“AIRAR had a stall at the Aireys community market on Sunday where this was the focus, and there was great feedback from the community.”

Ms Rolfe said more details about “Bring Them Here” would be presented at an event on March 26.

The Aireys Inlet Uniting Outreach team is also working to bring another refugee family to the Surf Coast through CRISP, and will start their sponsorship later in the year.

For offers of any assistance or more information, email [email protected]

Anyone interested in donating, can do so via electronic transfer to Account name: Bring Them Here, BSB: 633 000, Account number: 198 876 724.