16 July 2025
The Minutes of our previous meeting dated 28 May follow MinutesNSW-ACT25Jun25
Urgent meeting sought with the Immigration Minister
We wrote to Immigration Minister Tony Burke twice last year, in an effort to set up a meeting with him. It’s important that we meet with the Minister to raise a number of urgent issues.
We need to establish the timelines for when the government plans to implement the refugee policies that we fought for and won at the last Labor National Conference in 2023.
We also ran a campaign last year, asking ALP branches to help us lobby the government to recognise the skills of refugees and remove some of the barriers that are preventing them from working in jobs where they are sorely needed.
One of the important gains L4R made at the conference in 2023, was the government’s agreement to hold an inquiry into Immigration detention. We are still waiting to learn when this will happen.
There are many other problems that need to be addressed. For example, in March this year, we wrote to the Minister about the need to address the plight of people with disabilities in Immigration Detention.
In June we sent a letter to the Assistant Immigration Minister Matt Thistlethwaite about the removal of Work Rights for those non-citizens who have (rightly) sought Ministerial Intervention.
We are also very concerned about the refugees trapped in Indonesia who are trying to apply for visas to come to Australia.
The Afghan refugees who escaped from the Taliban and fled to Iran are now in danger in Iran. Those who made it from Afghanistan to Pakistan are also facing danger because the Pakistani Government wants to deport them.
The list of priorities goes on. Which is why we believe it is urgent to meet with Tony Burke and why, after the federal election, our L4R National Committee recently met to work out a plan of how we compile a list of issues that need to be raised with the Minister.
Watch this space.
Ride for Education – message from Muzafar
Our ride is finished. 4,000kms, 46 events and thousands of friends both old and new!
Thanks everyone.
We have been touched deeply by the outpouring of love, community and connection we have felt over the last 5 weeks. Thousands of people came together to help us on our journey and we feel reconnected, energised and full of hope.
We have raised nearly $140,000. More than we have ever raised before!
Our goal is $250,000 for one years education for over 3,000 refugees in Indonesia and Thailand, and women in Afghanistan.
YOU CAN HELP!!
Can you share this short video with any friends and family? https://vimeo.com/manage/videos/1096438762
Or share the websites at rideforeducation.com and cisarualearning.com
Thank you all. Can’t wait to see you again soon. Thank you for sharing our campaign.
Sincerely
Muzafar & Jolyon & everyone at Cisarua Learning
| Regards Nizza Siano Secretary L4R NSW email: contact@labor4refugees.com |