Surf Coast group to mark World Refugee Day

Surf Coast Rural Australians for Refugees is inviting concerned community members to its weekly vigil (members are pictured here on Thursday last week) in Torquay this World Refugee Day. Photo: JAMES TAYLOR

LOCAL refugee support group Surf Coast Rural Australians for Refugees (SCRAR) will celebrate World Refugee Day this June 20 in a bid to raise awareness for asylum seekers worldwide.

SCRAR’s primary focus is to draw attention to the gaps in Australia’s responsibilities to the refugee crisis, with the group hosting a “weekly vigil” on the corner of Merrijig Drive and Surf Coast Highway for the last three years.

The friendly protest, which is held each Thursday evening, aims to highlight the lack of fairness and equality in the nation’s dealings with refugees.

Areas of concern include:
• The Federal Government’s cuts to support payments for asylum seekers living in Australia (Status Resolution Support Services)
• The declining health of refugee families in the community as a result of limited funding in the federal budget
• Homelessness rates of asylum seekers in Australia
• The number of refugees who remain on Manus and Nauru

This World Refugee Day (Thursday June 20), SCRAR invites concerned community members to join them at 5pm at the corner of Merrijig Drive and Surf Coast Highway to shed light on the significance of these issues.