Category: Appeals

Support COFA’s newest Circle: Family MF Circle

Man from Manus

The Family MF Circle (Circle 129) was formed in February of this year (2023) to support the family of a man who is a refugee. He arrived at Christmas Island over 10 years ago. But as with many who have sought safety in Australia his family are yet to join him and are currently enduring extreme deprivation. The major complication is that MF (name withheld for security reasons) had an accident several years ago and now is seriously incapacitated and unable to work.

MF’s family left their homeland having experienced a suicide bombing and targeted violence, both at school and in their home. They took a perilous journey across a border, but their lives are still full of danger. They have no documentation and whenever they leave their cramped accommodation, they risk being arrested by authorities. So they remain indoors unable to work or go to school. They have difficulty affording the basics of food and rent and to pay for necessary medication for chronic illness (diabetes) as well as for treating injuries (burns) resulting from bomb blasts.

In Australia MF worked hard and was managing to help his extended family on his own until his accident. COFA is working with other agencies and a pro bono lawyer to address MF’s situation and we believe he will eventually become independent of our efforts as his children will be able to study and work in Australia.

In addition, as with many refugees, MF tries to support his war-widowed sisters-in-law and their children who remain in a rural village in his homeland. He has stoically provided all the support he could.

MF struggles with the inability to help his family. The shame and anxiety are crushing and he is currently accepting support from counselling agencies.

A small number of local Aussies, having met MF, hold him in awe for his commitment to his family, education for his daughters as well as his integrity and graciousness. They have committed to helping him, to lift his spirits and ease his worries.

Will you help? Please join us in supporting MF and his family by making a donation via our secure GiveNow account. Please indicate that you want your donation to go towards Family MF Circle (129). To find out more about how your donation will help please contact Lesley Walker, Family MF Circle Convenor, on 0418 829 941 or by email.

Urgent help needed for people who have sought refuge in Australia

Make your end of financial year tax-deductible donation count towards helping the living costs for asylum seekers and refugees. One of our Circles, The Pilgrims Circle of Friends (Circle 27) provides support to individuals and families who have nothing and no one to fall back on. The needs of the people we support are often very basic and immediate, for example for …

Ongoing support needed for Asylum Seekers on bridging visas

Recently the Federal government made a decision to grant permanent protection visas to some of the people seeking asylum who arrived in Australia by boat. This is an extremely exciting and overdue development which will have an enormous impact on the lives of those who are eligible. They will be able to make use of services previously inaccessible to them, will find it much easier to find jobs, and, importantly, will be able to apply to be reunited with family members they have not seen for years.

However, there is still a small but significant cohort of people seeking asylum who are not eligible for these permanent protection visas. Some of these people arrived in Australia in 2012/2013 by boat but have been refused refugee status or are still awaiting a final decision under the so-called ‘fast-track’ processing system, a system which has been heavily criticised for its procedural unfairness. Others spent years on either Manus Island or Nauru before being transferred to the Australian mainland. Almost none of these people is able to access any form of social security after the Federal Department of Home Affairs, under the previous government, severely curtailed eligibility. While most have work rights, those who came from either Manus Island or Nauru are not permitted to study.

It is extremely hard for many of these people to find work, or at least sufficient work, to make ends meet: they often have poor English language skills, their qualifications are not recognised and they cannot afford to retrain, they lack local work experience and contacts, their age in some cases counts against them, and some have serious physical and mental health problems. Even more importantly, the fact that they only possess temporary short-term bridging visas (usually of only six month’s duration that need to be constantly renewed), acts as a major obstacle to securing a job.

Circle of Friends has been advocating on behalf of these asylum seekers to the Federal government with a view, at the very least, to reinstate some form of social security, but also to allow this cohort of people to re-apply for protection under a fairer system that allows for a merits-based appeal.

In the meantime, however, there remains a large need for financial assistance for basic living costs for this group of asylum seekers. To enable us to continue to support this vulnerable group of people we would be very grateful if you, or anyone you know, would like to donate to Circle of Friends Australia. All circles welcome donations. If you would like your donation to go to the circles that specifically help this vulnerable group of asylum seekers, please ask for it to go to either C110 (Rapid Response Circle) or C121 (SOS for Asylum Seekers).

Donate as little as you would spend for one Easter egg

Let’s make a bit brighter Easter for the refugees and asylum seekers whom the Rapid Response Circle (110) is supporting.

A small team of four continues to give a hand to a core group of nine men living alone and four families. Costs of rent, weekly living expenses, household bills, Metrocards, medical visits and treatments, pharmacy medicines, phones, school costs and more are covered by donations and non-government agency grants. Even with all the support, it is still a constant struggle to ensure basic life needs are met for this vulnerable group. They have no Centrelink entitlement, two are not covered by Medicare, and none have been able to secure more than part-time work.

As little as one less Easter egg for all of us who enjoy eating them could boost Circle funds significantly. One hundred chocolate eggs forgone equals a month of basic living expenses for a woman supporting 4 school-age children.

Please donate if you can.

Can you help? – Volunteer Drivers Needed

Circle of Friends has received more requests for assistance than we can fill at present. We need help to provide: 1. Driving practice: We know many young refugee women and men are learning to drive and have had a few paid lessons with driving instructors. They can not afford for all their practice to be with paid instructors and Circle …