Dear readers,
Dear readers,I would like to begin this newsletter by extending our warm greetings to those readers of the Orthodox faith celebrating Easter this weekend. I also wish well those of other faiths that celebrated equally important religious festivals over the past month.
Here at AFFMA we are all inclusive and embrace the multicultural and multi-faith nature of the diverse Australian community.
This month’s edition details the recent notable developments pertaining to offshore processing of asylum seekers on Manus Island and also profiles some of the success stories of refugees having settled and excelled in Australian society.
The planned closure of the Manus Island detention centre by the Papua New Guinea Government provides further impetus for a push within the broader Australian public to campaign for a more humane and compassionate treatment of refugees seeking asylum within our borders, particularly with an upcoming election.
I also take this opportunity to announce that AFFMA’s 2016 Annual General Meeting will be held on Wednesday 22 June at 5pm at our Newtown Office. Further details are provided below.
I would like to remind all readers that our permanent volunteer migration agent-lawyer and transformational life coach continues to offer business and leadership coaching to business people and those aspiring to start their own business whether in the migration field or any other field.
Please also be aware that AFFMA receives a number of local and overseas enquiries every week from non-asylum seekers/ refuges.
If you are interested in referrals from us, please send us an email to <info@affma.org.au> with your background and area of expertise as well as a membership form if you are not a member.
AFFMA is also looking for migration agents who are willing to complete a Protection Visa application from beginning to end on a pro bono basis either at your office/ home or our office in Newtown.
AFFMA is an Approved Voluntary Organisation by the Office of the MARA. Agents volunteering at our organisation can claim one CPD point for every three hours of pro bono work.
Joël Gédéon, JP
CEO
MARN: 1066986
