Help us to continue supporting refugee families over Christmas Warmest thanks to all our donors who have enabled us to keep going this year – you are our lifeblood. Unfortunately we need to call on the generosity of Australians once again. The Rapid Response for Refugees Circle (Circle 110) has a crucial role within the Circle of Friends Organisation to …
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Home Affairs Moves it Responsibilities to Community
Over October and November this year, more than 500 Refugees and Asylum Seekers across Australia are being moved out of community detention and onto Final Departure Bridging Visas. This will give them, for the first time since they attempted to enter Australia to seek asylum in 2013 or 2014, the right to work. Yet at same time it removes all …
Iranian Women’s Association Campaign for Permanency
The Iranian Women’s Association has launched a petition that says that since COVID-19 has temporarily stopped migration, now is the time for the Australian government to provide permanent visas to refugees and asylum seekers. The petition points out many of the refugees have lived in our community for many years and have demonstrated their commitment to the Australian way of …
Support of refugee student scholarship holders
A partnership between COFA and the University of Adelaide. The Guest Speaker at this year’s AGM was Alexander Reilly, Professor of Law, Adelaide Law School, University of Adelaide. He spoke about how the Universities the value of asylum seekers gaining access to tertiary education. Yet the government classifies asylum seekers as foreign students making University fees for these students are …
The Food Box Project
The Food Box Project was started by Rachel Lafain for Safe Haven Enterprise Visa (SHEV) holders who had lost jobs due to COVID-19. Catherine Russell of Circle 124 and Libby Hogarth, Circle 92, then collaborated to co-ordinate an expansion of this project. Catherine gathered the names of Bridging Visa holders in need of help, plus some on SHEVs and Temporary …