AFFMA

Refugee News – November 2017

Global refugee news …

Global

Refugees from across Africa are being bought and sold in modern day slave markets in Libya. Read more.
Sexual predators and human traffickers are targeting Rohingya refugees in camps on the border between Bangladesh and Myanmar. Read more.
Myanmar and Bangladesh have signed an agreement for the return of 300 Rohingya refugees per day. Read more.

At Home

A Sri Lankan asylum seeker has died on Manus Island in an apparent suicide. Read more.
A coalition of human rights groups have presented reports to the United Nations that condemn Australia’s refugee policies. Read more.
Australia has given $30 million to UNICEF to support vulnerable children in Lebanon. Read more.
A man who participated in a people smuggling operation in 2013 has been sentenced to four years in prison. Read more.

Elizabeth Wright
BComn(Griffith), MHumRights(Curtin)

Refugee News – October 2017

Global refugee news …

Global

The United States may cut its refugee intake to 45,000, its lowest in decades. Read more.
Rohingya refugees are facing increased hostility in Bangladesh. Read more.
Cameroon has forcibly returned 100,000 Nigerian refugees over the last two years, allegedly to slow the spread of extremism. Read more.

At Home

Twenty two refugees have left Manus Island for the United States. Read more.
The Refugee Review Tribunal has been found to have cut-and-pasted paragraphs in multiple decisions. Read more.

Elizabeth Wright
BComn(Griffith), MHumRights(Curtin)

Refugee News – September 2017

Global refugee news …

Global

A new deal between Germany and Egypt is expected to stem the flow of refugees from the Middle East. Read more.
Save the Children and Doctors Without Borders have ceased rescue operations in the Mediterranean due to threats from Libya’s coast guard. Read more.
Hostility towards Syrian refugees is rising in Lebanon. Read more.
Around 9,000 Rohingya refugees from Myanmar have crossed the Bangladeshi border after the army set fire to their villages and killed 96 civilians. Read more.

At Home

Immigration Minister Peter Dutton has come under fire for saying that lawyers who provide pro-bono assistance to refugees are “un-Australian.” Read more.
The Attorney-General of Papua New Guinea has said that Australia will not be permitted to leave asylum seekers behind when it closes the Manus Island detention centre. Read more.
Asylum seekers who have been transferred to Australia for medical treatment will no longer receive welfare payments or be allowed to live in government housing. Read more.
A security guard has been fired and charged with assaulting an asylum seeker on Nauru. Read more.

Elizabeth Wright
BComn(Griffith), MHumRights(Curtin)

Refugee News – August 2017

Global refugee news …

A new identification scheme in Pakistan will grant legal protections to up to a million undocumented Afghan refugees. Read more.
Italy has warned that it may have to close its ports to refugees if other EU member states do not offer more assistance. Read more.
A far-right group will go to sea to monitor Mediterranean rescue ships, which they claim are colluding with people smuggling rings to bring refugees to Europe. Read more.
The crowded conditions at an Indonesian immigration detention centre have been revealed. Read more.

Refugee news in Australia …

Candlelight vigils were held across Australia to protest offshore detention centres, which are now in their fourth year of operations. Read more.
About 1200 asylum seekers held on Manus Island will be resettled in the US in October. Read more.

Elizabeth Wright
BComn(Griffith), MHumRights(Curtin)

Refugee News – July 2017

Global

A loose definition of terrorism has prevented a Syrian activist from gaining refugee status in the United States. Read more.
A funding gap of US$1 billion within the UN Refugee Agency is threatening the welfare of Syrian refugees in Jordan and Lebanon. Read more.
Changing the 1951 Refugee Convention to protect climate change refugees could lead to its demise. Read more.

At Home

The Australian government will pay $70 million in damages to refugees and asylum seekers held on Manus Island. Read more.
The United States will decide whether it will resettle 70 men on Manus Island within six weeks. Read more.

Elizabeth Wright
BComn(Griffith), MHumRights(Curtin)

In the news – June 2017

Global

300,000 child refugees travelled alone in 2015 and 2016. Read more: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/17/world/americas/united-nations-children-refugees-migrants-trafficking.html
The Azraq refugee camp in Jordan is now largely powered by renewable energy, saving the UN refugee agency $1.5 million a year. Read more: http://www.unhcr.org/en-au/news/latest/2017/5/591bfdbb4/jordans-azraq-becomes-worlds-first-clean-energy-refugee-camp.html
Poland continues to refuse to admit asylum seekers despite threats of legal action from the EU. Read more: https://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2017/05/18/world/europe/18reuters-europe-migrants-eu-poland.html
A leaked audio recording suggests that Italian authorities allowed 268 Syrian refugees to drown in 2013. Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2017/05/09/italian-forces-ignored-a-sinking-ship-full-of-syrian-refugees-and-let-more-than-250-drown-says-leaked-audio/?utm_term=.69f2871b57b7

At Home

Two of the Head On Photo Festival’s winners were inspired by refugees. Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/art-and-design/head-on-photo-festival-2017-winners-inspired-by-refugees-20170506-gvzjnt.html
Immigration Minister Peter Dutton has given 7,500 asylum seekers living in Australia until October 1 to complete their protection claims. Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/immigration-minister-peter-dutton-sets-a-deadline-for-refugee-status-application-20170520-gw9iza.html
A young Iraqi woman who was captured and enslaved by the Islamic State hopes to obtain a protection visa to Australia by next year. Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/world/nihad-was-an-islamic-state-sex-slave-and-is-desperate-for-a-new-life-in-australia-20170512-gw3ijm.html
Asylum seekers on Manus Island have been told to leave so the detention centre can be closed. Read more: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-05-16/asylum-seekers-on-manus-island-told-to-leave-before-closure/8528816

Elizabeth Wright
BComn(Griffith), MHumRights(Curtin)

In the news – April 2017

Global

The UN has praised Iran for hosting the fourth largest refugee population in the world and keeping its borders open. Read more: http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/2017/03/16/un-praises-irans-exemplary-refugee-efforts
The European Court of Human Rights has ordered Hungary to pay €10,000 to two refugees who were detained unlawfully in a transit zone at the border with Serbia. Read more: http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/2017/03/15/hungary-ordered-pay-asylum-seekers
More than 40 Somali asylum seekers were killed when a helicopter attacked their boat off the coast of Yemen. Read more: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-03-18/helicopter-attack-kills-somali-refugees-off-yemen-coast/8365934

At Home

A new study shows that promoting entrepreneurship among refugees not only gets them off Centrelink payments, but can contribute millions of dollars to the economy. Read more: http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/2017/03/23/refugee-entrepreneurs-bring-million-dollar-boost-australias-economy
The government is not currently negotiating with other countries for refugee resettlement deals. Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/us-or-nothing-australia-not-negotiating-with-other-countries-for-refugee-resettlement-20170320-gv2jb7.html

Elizabeth Wright
BComn(Griffith), MHumRights(Curtin)

From the CEO’s desk – April 2017

AFFMA has made a terrific start to 2017.

We have a new fundraising/marketing team. These dedicated volunteers have started to expand our brand and raise awareness with community organisations throughout the Inner West. As a result, we have had a significant increase in donations and funding.

Our volunteers have also made lasting partnerships with several local businesses around Newtown. Our community involvement has brought us new clients through increased inquiries and referrals. Receiving the 2016 Volunteer of the Year Award has had a great impact in this regard.

Significant number of new volunteers joined.

We have also had a number of new volunteers join us and start making significant contributions to the organisation.

Additionally, AFFMA has started to expand our legal team. We have a new migration agent coming on board and a number of talented legal assistants joining the organisation. We are also expanding our service to include partner visas. This is particularly important for our clients who wish to begin a new life in Australia with their partners by their side.

AFFMA has started developing in house training for our volunteers, including the provision of fact sheets and legal information. This information will be available on our website in the near future.

Gene Waters
Acting CEO
LLB, Grad Cert of Migration Law and Practice
Pro Bono Migration Agent, MARN:1685583

AFFMA

Global refugee news …

Global refugee news …

Global refugee news …

Global refugee news …

Refugee news in Australia …

Global

At Home

Global

At Home

Global

At Home

<img decoding="async" class="size-full wp-image-1099 alignleft" src="https://www.freemigrationagents.org.au/wp-content/uploads/sabine.jpg" alt="" width="168" height="251" />AFFMA has made a terrific start to 2017.

Significant number of new volunteers joined.

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Our Supporters

AFFMA has made a terrific start to 2017.