Asylum Seeker and Refugee Service - assisting a community in great need

The Asylum Seeker and Refugee Service provides friendship and hope to people who are new to Australia.

Asylum seekers know all too well the importance of having access to the essentials required to call Australia their home. The Salvation Army has a service that is dedicated to supporting asylum seekers and refugees. We spoke with Major Karen Elkington, who manages the Asylum Seeker and Refugee Service centre in Brunswick, Victoria. Karen describes what is needed to make it easier for asylum seekers.

Describe what a typical day at work looks like for you?

In a typical day, I see a lot of people in desperate need, particularly for food and other types of relief. We're seeing more and more families who are struggling to pay their rent, utility bills and put food on the table. Medication is also something people need. It's pretty dire.

What are some challenges you face at work every day?

Our challenge is that we never have enough things to help people with. We do have a lot of clothing here that's been generously donated. We don't have enough children's clothing at the moment. But you know that you're only scratching the surface of people's needs. There is a gap between what we're able to provide and what they actually need in their lives to survive, to sustain good health, keep themselves housed and really thrive rather than just survive. Even surviving is difficult at the moment.

The food that I put out the front which is second hand, like rescued food from the supermarkets, isn't coming in as fresh as it would be if it was on retail sale. People use to be a little fussier about what they took, but now they're just taking anything and everything.

Sometimes I find the peels of mandarins, bananas or other fruits left on the ground by people who have eaten out the front because they are so hungry.

Can you share with us a success story that you’ve had?

We've got Employment Plus working on-site who have been able to help, particularly with some of the people who were recently released from immigration detention after nine years and living in a nearby hotel.

Some of them are starting to pick up some work and get their lives and their dignity back, which is a huge positive. They have been out of detention for about two or three months now, and one of them had a job interview the other day. Another one was going to have a look, to see if an employment opportunity might work for him.

Do you have any ideas of how Australians can help refugees?

I think it would be fantastic if Australians could talk to their local government member about how people seeking asylum need access to a basic safety net and a standard of life that ordinary Australians enjoy. In Australia, the cost of living has risen for everyone. But for people without an income, it is incredibly dire.

Australians could also donate to an organisation that supports people seeking asylum. But if we want actual change, citizens could talk to their member of parliament to say they don't like the idea that people are starving and destitute, and families with small children are doing it tough in our community; because Australia should be a country where everyone has equal opportunity and a chance to live life with dignity.

What's something that you and this organisation need help with right now?

Money - there's never enough money to assist people. It sounds greedy, but with money, we can actually direct it where it's most needed. Obviously, if people have things like toiletries, cultural foods and children's clothing to donate, we're very happy to accept that as well.

What is one misconception about refugees that you want to dispel?

Some people think they [refugees] are just here to take from us. And they fear the fact that they might change our way of life. The fact is, they [refugees] are people who contribute and give to society. They establish themselves in the community, they start businesses, they work hard, and this country has been built on the success of migrants.

The way forward for asylum seekers and refugees

Everyone deserves to be treated with dignity and respect, and Karen and her team are passionate advocates when it comes to helping asylum seekers. The Salvation Army supports those in need and the Asylum Seeker and Refugee Service provides friendship and hope to people who are new to Australia.

To learn more about the Asylum Seeker and Refugee Service and other services provided by The Salvation Army, visit www.salvationarmy.org.au