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Letter to the Editor re: African young people in Victoria
The below letter was submitted to the Herald-Sun on July 18, 2018 with regard to recent comments made by the Prime Minister about young African people in Victoria. Dear Editor, Comments by the Prime Minister regarding young African people in Victoria this week have been inflammatory, misleading and unhelpful. Rita Panahi’s article responding to comments…
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A joint Catholic statement about bridging visas
In 2016 a small number of people seeking asylum were evacuated from Nauru and sent to Australia in need of medical care and support. Many of these people were experiencing complex health needs in addition to the trauma and persecution they had faced on their journeys to Australia. The Federal Government is now seeking to…
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Federal Government’s decision to strip income support is shameful
The Federal Government’s decision to strip income support and housing from a group of highly vulnerable families seeking asylum in Australia will impact the entire community, says Jesuit Social Services. “We are appalled that the Federal Government is continuing its cruel campaign of needlessly punishing people who have sought asylum in Australia,” says Jesuit Social…
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A Joint Catholic statement on SRSS income cuts for people seeking asylum in Australia
The Status Resolution Support Service (SRSS) is a vital safety net for people seeking asylum in Australia. It provides basic income support, casework services, and access to torture and trauma counselling services to many women, men, and children. Starting in late 2017, the government began excluding full-time students including many on scholarship, and those who…
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Backing greater career opportunities for African Australians
NAB and Jesuit Social Services have today announced they will extend their award-winning African Australian Inclusion Program (AAIP) to Sydney branches for the first time. Jesuit Social Services has also formed partnerships with two other major organisations including John Holland to deliver similar corporate diversity programs. The AAIP has been running at NAB for nine…
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Federal Government must help fund Royal Commission outcomes
Having established a Royal Commission which uncovered the depth of the mistreatment and abuse of young people in the Northern Territory’s youth detention system, the Federal Government must now adequately fund the final report’s recommendations, says Jesuit Social Services. “The landmark final report and recommendations of the Royal Commission into the Protection and Detention of…
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A joint Catholic statement on the humanitarian crisis on Manus Island
A week after the official closure of the Manus Island detention centre, more than 600 refugees and people seeking asylum languish inside, unsafe and uncertain about their futures. After forcibly transferring the men to Manus Island in 2013-2014, the Australian government and its sub-contractors have now abandoned the centre and the island, leaving vulnerable people…
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Jesuit Social Services joins Stop Adani Alliance
Jesuit Social Services is voicing its opposition to the Carmichael coal project by joining the Stop Adani Alliance, and calls on other community sector organisations to advocate against the project. “We recognise that social and environmental justice are inextricably linked, and are committed to ecological justice,” says Jesuit Social Services Acting CEO Sally Parnell. “This project would have substantially negative climate impacts…
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More than 600 men on Manus Island deserve sanctuary in Australia
The more than 600 men at the Manus Island Regional Processing Centre must be spared further emotional and physical harm and resettled in Australia or suitable third countries, says Jesuit Social Services. “More than 600 men are directly impacted by the closure of the Manus Island detention centre today, and are now unreasonably expected to…
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Better support for Victorian tenants welcome
Government changes to strengthen safeguards and rights for Victorian tenants have been welcomed by Jesuit Social Services. “Many of the people we work with at Jesuit Social Services are renters and we understand the many challenges and frustrations that can come with navigating the private rental market. We welcome the Victorian Government’s announcements that will…