A busy year ahead

Welcome to our first newsletter for the year! 

We hope you had a decent break over the holiday season and feel recharged because 2026 is shaping up to be a busy one. 

Unfortunately, we still have a lot of work to do to ensure that refugees don’t slip off the radar and become the elephant in the room.  We understand there are many challenges in our society that need to be addressed but the role of Labor for Refugees is to try to meet our objectives. They are:

1. All people seeking asylum to be treated with compassion, justice and in accordance with Australia’s international obligations.
2.   People seeking asylum within Australia should have the right to have their application for refugee status assessed in Australia, under the Australian legal system.
3.   All people seeking asylum should be accommodated in government run assessment centres within Australia. When a formal application for Refugee status has been made, security, health and identity checks should ideally be completed as soon as possible, and no longer than 90 days, and if satisfactorily completed, people seeking asylum should be free to move out of reception centres and to stay in supportive communities.
4.   A significant component of the Annual Migration Program should include people on Humanitarian grounds. 

Our next meeting will be held on WEDNESDAY 25 FEBRUARY 2026 AT 6.30PM.

Minutes of our last meeting which took place on the 26 November 2025 can be accessed via the link
L4RNSW-ACTMinMtg26Nov25

Activities since our last meetingSince November last year, L4R:provided our promotional material to ALP Balmain Branch to distribute at a street fair in Darling St Balmain, which took place on the 30/11/25met with Linda Scott on 4/11/25 who was elected onto the National Policy Forum, and discussed with her, the best way to advocate for refugees at the ALP National Conference on 23-25 July 2026sent a contingent of L4R members, to attend the 7/12/25 Tamil Human Rights Day event.  Our NSW/ACT Co-Convenor Lauren Honcope, made a speech on L4R’s behalf.  It’s worth reading.  The link to her notes follows TamilRefugeeCnclHRevent7Dec25made a submission to the “Attorney-General’s Departmental Review of the Disability Discrimination Act 1992” (DDA) to seek removal of the exemption from the coverage of the DDA, for the Migration Act. Such an exemption does not exist in the Sex Discrimionation Act or the Racial Discrimination Act or the Australian Human Rights Commission Act. It does also exist in the Age Discrimination Act and needs to be removed from that legislation also.is putting the finishing touches on a submission to the Senate Inquiry into ‘Offshore processing and resettlement arrangements’.  Submissions close on 13 Feb 2026.  Copy of our submission will be made available in our next newsletter.met with representatives of the Asylum Seekers Centre to discuss our campaign and our L4R Fringe Event for the NSW Labor Conference on 4/5 July 2026 was invited by the Blue Mts Refugee Support Letter-Writing Group, to make a presentation about L4R and our campaigns. The presentation will take place on the 12 February 2026.

NSW Labor Conference 4/5 July – L4R Fringe Event  After meeting with representatives of the Asylum Seekers Centre (ASC) on two occasions, we invited their new CEO Elija Buol, to be the guest speaker at our Fringe Event at the NSW Labor Conference on the weekend of the 4/5 July 2026.  We also invited another speaker from the Refugee Council of Australia (RCOA) and some refugees with lived experience of homelessness.  The ASC has been running an advocacy campaign to “Fix the Safety Net” and has worked with the RCOA, with the aim of restoring funding to refugees/asylum seekers living in our community, dependent on charity for their survival. The ASC campaign, neatly links into our L4R campaign to have the Status Resolution Support Services (SRSS) payments restored for people seeking asylum, after the Coalition cut these welfare payments to a minimum in 2019.  At the time, The Guardian reported that – “A Coalition government decision to slash income support for community-based asylum seekers has forced hundreds more to access emergency housing and food banks.” The wait for a resolution to the status of some of these people seeking asylum, has led many of them to a life in limbo and uncertainty, created trauma and is compounded by the fact that many are denied access to Centrelink, fluctuating Medicare cover and diminishing work rights.  This leaves people seeking asylum at risk of homelessness and destitution.  It leads people to face impossible choices every day. We have lobbied the Federal Labor Government since 2019, to have these payments restored.  Since then, there has been a surge in asylum seekers needing welfare assistance We also believe that our State Government is responsible for accommodation and emergency health care so we have drafted a motion for branch members to support and submit to the NSW Conference.  The deadline for submitting motions to the relevant Policy Committee is Friday 3 April 2026.  That leaves us only two full months of February and March, for branch meetings to be held before the deadline. We urge you to have this motion debated at your next branch meeting and if supported, to have your Branch Secretary forward it to the relevant bodies listed at the end of our motion. The motion follows.  HOMELESSNESS SUPPORT SHOULD BE BASED ON NEED AND NOT VISA STATUS The NSW Labor Government Homelessness Strategy 2025-2035 acknowledges that the right to housing is a basic human right.  The Strategy estimates that more than 35,000 people are experiencing homelessness in NSW.  There is an increase of 27% between the censuses carried out in 2011 and 2021. The Refugee Council of Australia (RCOA) reported in 2025 that in the City of Sydney alone, nearly 20% of people sleeping rough are non-residents on uncertain visas, including asylum seekers. Over the years, successive Federal Governments have reduced Status Resolution Support Services (SRSS) funding and eligibility and removed many non-residents’ work rights and access to Medicare, while the NSW State Government has excluded non-residents from homelessness support.  Consequently, non-residents are locked out of mainstream social services and there is no safety net in place to prevent destitution and homelessness.  The RCOA reported that currently, charities and frontline asylum services are left to fill the gap.  They provide food, emergency accommodation, rent assistance, transport and healthcare but with little or no government funding.  These services are stretched beyond capacity and rely heavily on donations and community goodwill. The Asylum Seekers Centre (ASC) reported in 2024 that homelessness is detrimental to the welfare and mental health of non-residents.  Subsequently, this affects their ability to lodge and progress visa applications.  This motion is about giving all non-residents and asylum seekers access to homelessness support.   No one should be excluded based on their visa status!   MOTION (This ….… branch/SEC) recognises that the right to housing is a human right.  To ensure that everyone is eligible for homelessness support, we call on the NSW Labor Government to include non-residents and asylum seekers in the NSW Homelessness Strategy 2025-2035.   Send to:NSW Minister for Housing, Minister for Homelessness, Rose Jackson MLC at office@jackson.minister.nsw.gov.auYour SECBranch/SEC Secretaries to submit motion to NSW Labor through the Online Policy Motions Portal by the deadline of 3 April 2026.You can access a PDF copy of the motion at L4RNSWStateConferenceMotion2026 Hope to see you online at our 25 February meeting.

Regards

Nizza Siano
Secretary L4R NSW
email:  contact@labor4refugees.com

 

Welcome to our last newsletter for this year!

Our next meeting will be held on WEDNESDAY 26 NOVEMBER 2025 AT 6.30PM.

Minutes of our October meeting can be accessed via thelink L4RNSW-ACTMinMtg22Oct25

Meeting with Immigration Minister Tony Burke  Our L4R National Co-ordinating Committee (NCC), met with the Immigration Minister on 15 October last.   The following report was compiled by our NSW/ACT Co-Convenor Lauren Honcope. L4R National Co-ordinating Committee Meeting with the Minister for Home Affairs Tony Burke on Wednesday 15 October 2025, at his electoral office in Punchbowl.In attendance for L4R NCC – NCC Secretary Nizza Siano, NCC NSW members Jenny Haines (NSW/ACT Co-Convenor), Sabrin Farooqui (NSW/ACT Senior Vice-President), NCC ACT member Lauren Honcope (NSW/ACT Co-Convenor), NCC Qld member Hanne Worsoe (Convenor L4R Qld).   In attendance with the Minister – Rachelle Harika (electoral office) and Ann Clark (Ministerial staffer, virtually, via screen).   Topics covered and who spoke to them – 1.  Visa Backlog/Legacy caseload from previous government’s so-called ‘Fast Track’ system and recent information concerning pathways through Ministerial Intervention, for permanent settlement – Lauren2. The very poor health status of a few of the remaining men in the PNG (Manus) cohort who are still in Port Moresby – Hanne3. Nauru – the severe health risks and the policy problems of the Labor government’s –  (a) continuing use of Nauru as a location that Australia sends people, who try to reach Australia by boat to claim asylum; and (b) new use of Nauru as a place of permanent settlement of non-citizens with ‘character issues’ – L4R’s longstanding opposition to offshoring of any kind. Jenny spoke on this.4. The 2023 ALP Platform – 4 KEY Policies in the 2023 ALP National Platform Commitments which have not progressed so far, and on which we sought an update: (a) Legislating the “90 Day Rule” – at 2023 Platform, page 141, para 7 and page 142 para 8.h – when will we see in this Parliament, ALP Legislation to enact this ALP Platform commitment to 90 day Rule? (b)  Establishing a Parliamentary Inquiry into Immigration Detention – at 2023 Platform page 141 paragraph 4 – will this be established prior to 2026 National Conference? The NCC has written to the Attorney- General about this. (c)  Establishment of a Special Envoy for refugees – at 2023 Platform, page 134 paragraph 11 – will this Special  Envoy be appointed prior to 2026 National Conference? (d)  What are the Second Albanese Labor Government’s Attitudes/Plans in relation to Platform commitments to aspiring to 27,000 government funded Humanitarian places per year – at 2023 Platform, page 138, paragraph 8. L4R recently wrote to the Immigration Minister about increasing the intake to 50,000 within five years. Lauren spoke on item 4.  Summary of meeting The meeting went smoothly, thanks to Sabrin’s organisation beforehand and management of time on topics in the meeting.   The Minister and staff were welcoming and friendly, as we would expect. They are clearly also very busy.   The Minister is, of course, very senior (he is manager of business in the House as well as his Ministerial roles) and highly experienced, including in this portfolio, which he briefly held in 2013 when Kevin Rudd was PM the second time.He was very interested to know the issues of concern to L4R and quickly addressed the issues from his perspective as Minister. He clearly stated his strong policy preferences that differ from those of L4R (notably re PNG and Nauru). He was very helpful re the current program of providing visa certainty for people in legacy caseload(s). He was interested in the 4 Platform items we raised with him but non-committal, saying that he would meet with L4R representatives again.   I think we established a rapport and some trust.  The meeting lasted 30 minutes (11am to 11.30am). Lauren Honcope Co-Convenor L4R NSW/ACT

Next Year’s NSW and National ALP Conferences NSW Conference 4 and 5 JulyWe need to decide about which issue L4R should advocate at the 2026 NSW ALP Conference.  It should be something which can make a positive contribution for refugees and people seeking asylum in NSW.  It would be good to see if we can improve their lives, particularly if they are struggling financially.  One issue could be the restoration of the Status Resolution Support Service (SRSS). The SRSS provides a basic temporary payment to non-citizens who cannot support themselves while waiting for a resolution to their immigration claim. Designed as a “safety net” and first implemented in 1992 as the Asylum Seeker Assistance Scheme, the payments were essential for people whose visas forbade them to work, or who were sick or parenting young children. Since the safety net was established, a number of policy changes have been made. Successive governments have cut funding by 93 per cent.  One in five people sleeping rough in the inner city has uncertain visa status, according to data from the City of Sydney. The Asylum Seekers Centre now estimates every second person seeking help from its centre is either homeless or at serious risk of homelessness. On a daily basis, staff are seeing people who are homeless with no access to work, Medicare or basic services. People arrive at the centre after having slept in the CBD, Parramatta, in parks or streets. Staff attend to mothers with children arriving at the centre after having spent the night at a train station.  National Conference 23, 24 & 25 August We have already commenced working on Labor’s National Platform in the lead up to the 2026 ALP National Conference and will advocate for the Labor Government to meet its commitment and implement the refugee policies that L4R negotiated for and won at the 2023 National Conference.  Four of these policies are mentioned in the Report of our recent meeting with the Immigration Minister, Tony Burke.  We are also currently speaking to those ALP Members who were recently elected to the National Policy Forum (NPF), asking them to advocate for our L4R policies. In NSW, we have already met with Linda Scott, who was the past Co-Convenor of L4R.  Linda nominated and ran in the NPF election on a platform that included support for our L4R policies. The problem is that we need to cut through and impress upon Labor MPs, the importance of supporting refugees and people seeking asylum.   We are aware that refugees are not uppermost in the minds of Labor politicians (except of course if something controversial happens).  The lack of interest in improving the circumstances for refugees living in Australia and towards those desperately fleeing their countries, who would like to settle in Australia, is most likely a reflection of how the community prioritises refugees.   Our community is more focused on their own economic woes, housing and the environment, than on the plight of refugees. Secondly, there were no time-lines included in the National Platform commitments made in 2023, so the Government is able to defer the implementation of these policies and focus on what it believes are more important issues.  The implementation of some of these policies are also reliant on the allocation of funds so that’s another challenge we face.   Another reason refugees don’t feature prominently by the Government is that the Government would like refugees to stay out of sight and therefore, out of mind.  The government does not wish to provide the Coalition and right-wing media, with ammunition to wedge it as the Coalition has tried to do each time refugees are in the limelight.   L4R believes that with the Coalition in such chaos and the Labor Government still in the early stage of its three year term, the government can afford to implement reforms, without fearing the adverse reaction it may attract.  For far too long, we have used the excuse that we cannot afford to be controversial when it comes to refugees, because it might undermine Labor’s chance of winning at election time.  Well if now is not the time to be bold, when will it ever be the appropriate time for a Labor Government to introduce reforms? Labor for Refugees Victoria – newsletterI recommend reading the recent newsletter compiled by L4R Victoria as it’s full of useful and interesting information and focuses on the Albanese Government’s record on refugees and people seeking asylum.  The link follows L4RVicNewsletterNov25 Report of Kaldor Centre Conference 23 October 2025 – Building Bridges: Advanced Refugee Protection in a Divided World This year’s Kaldor Centre Conference arrived at a fateful time for refugee protection. Displacement is rising by the millions. Funding is vanishing by the billions. Political divides are deepening around the world. Now more than ever, we need to pause, reflect and forge new paths forward – together.   The 2025 Kaldor Centre Conference brought together policymakers, practitioners, scholars, civil society and people with lived experience of displacement – to ask the hard questions, share expertise and build practical solutions.  The Kaldor Centre described the conference as “a vital meeting point for everyone working to shape refugee policy and practice”.   L4R member Cath Crittenden attended this Conference and took notes in point form which she made available to us.  Her notes follow: ·        It’s not rewriting the Refugee Convention that is needed; it is connection, fair and fast procedures, and responsibility sharing.·        Crucial to include people with lived experience when developing policy (nothing about us without us). Mohammed Naeem, Senior Director for Advocacy Strategy, Refugees International:·        there are leaders, and there are those who lead; we need to remain hopeful; a shared understanding of the issues is failing, and so is shared responsibility; we are reckoning with a crisis of trust; we need a bridge in an age which profits from breaking (clearly the Trump administration front of mind); but citizens are not as polarised as politicians. We need to show that caring works; we need to make the case for the benefits to society of good refugee policy; we need refugee leaders in discussions. One third of Americans have contact with a refugee. The system is not broken, it’s overburdened. We’re too ready to absorb ideas that are constantly repeated; we experience confirmation bias. There is power in listening, even if you don’t agree, but we look for shared values. Community sponsorship programs are excellent at building bridges. James Jegasothy, Deputy CEO, Multicultural NSW;  Hugh de Kretser, President Australian Human Rights Commission:·        New deal with Nauru, no procedural fairness and heart-breaking human cost.·        There is a better way. Safe pathways to protection. Work with regional countries, save lives at sea, support the UNHCR, increase the refugee intake (Australia currently 77th in the world relative to GDP); increase complementary pathways. Be more humane, lead others, don’t follow. Promote peace.·        Australia has a strong multicultural culture, but we can’t be complacent about racism.·        We need to establish a Human Rights Act; we need to promote the National Anti-Racism Framework.·        We need to listen to refugees tell their stories; that way, understanding and empathy will develop.These are wise words and the world would be a more compassionate place if we all heeded them. Australia, International Law and Armed Conflict:  What are our obligations? You would have received an email from us early this month, inviting you to this important event which takes place next week on Thursday 27 November.  You will need to register to attend.The details are outlined in the leaflet which you can access using the following link IntLawArmedConflictevent27Nov25 I hope to see you at our Zoom meeting next Wednesday – the last for this year.

Regards

Nizza Siano
Secretary L4R NSW
email:  contact@labor4refugees.com

Dear Victorian Labor for Refugees Member,

I write to update you on developments regarding refugees and asylum seekers and activities of LFR in relation to National ALP forums .

Albanese Government Record on Refugees and Asylum Seekers

The attached document summarises key achievements and developments since the Albanese Government was elected in May 2022. There are some significant positives and achievements whilst some issues remain very much a “work in progress” . You will note the final positive item that it is expected that  Australia will shortly take in its millionth refugee since WW11. However LFR remains opposed to the continuing use of Nauru for “offshore processing” and the new use of Nauru for prolonged detention of non-citizen members of the NZYQ cohort and potentially many others – see below.  

The “Anti-Fairness” Act and the new contract to transfer non-citizens to Nauru

Like all Human Rights and Refugee advocate groups , LFR is concerned about the government’s continued use of Nauru for the small number of people who arrived by boat and the new contract with Nauru to send non-citizens there long term at great expense. The attached document has a draft motion, based on one developed by NSW/ACT LFR ,which as a LFR member I ask you to consider submitting to your Branch. It also includes some background information on the issues of the new contract and the new Act passed in September.

Meeting with Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke

The National Committee of LFR met with the Minister in his electorate office in Sydney on October 15. LFR priority issues of the legacy caseload, PNG and Nauru and components of the National ALP Platform not yet enacted  were submitted to the Minister. We believe that a further meeting will take place in 2026.  

National Policy Forum (NPF)

The NPF is responsible for producing the draft National Platform for the National Conference in July 2026. State Branches and  Unions have elected members to the NPF which is having its first meeting on 13/11/25 . Two of the four elected Victorian members are LFR members.

LFR Review of Sections of the ALP Platform relevant to Asylum Seekers and Refugees

LFR Victorian Committee is meeting on 15/11/25 at 10.30 am at the Royal Standard Hotel (333 William Street, West Melbourne) to formulate recommendations for the 2026 ALP National Platform. Any members who wished to join us in this process would be welcome – notification of attendance for catering  purposes would be appreciated.  We will be inviting Victorian NPF elected members.

Elections for National Conference Delegates

Elections for Victorian delegates to National Conference will be held in the early months of  2026. At the 2023 LFR working with other delegates were successful achieving positive changes to the Platform. Support for any LFR members or supporters who are standing from Victorian  LFR members would be most helpful.

LFR Members Forum  18^th October 2025  

An informative Forum was held at the Unitarian church featuring one refugee with lived experience of Nauru, one of the prolonged flawed fast track process and Jana Favero the head of systemic change at the Asylum Seekers Resource Centre. We were pleased to be joined by members of the Grandmothers for Refugees.

We look forward to your continuing support with our activities in 2026.

Peter Lynch

15 October 2025

Welcome to our October newsletter!

Our next meeting will be held on WEDNESDAY 22 OCTOBER 2025 AT 6.30PM.

Minutes of our September meeting can be accessed via thelink L4RNSW-ACTMinMtg24Sep25

The Anti-Fairness Act – L4R campaign

The Home Affairs Legislation Amendment (2025 Measures No 1) Act 2025, better known as the Anti-Fairness Act, was passed by the Government on the 4 September 2025. 

L4R opposed this Bill, which has the potential to remove basic legal protections for non-citizens, as well as undermining our ALP National Platform. 
 

The Asylum Seekers Resource Centre (ASRC) recently reported that when the Government moved to pass the Bill that stripped refugees of their human rights and legal right to natural justice, it mobilised a massive community response. 
Over 25,000 emails were sent to MPs and senators, thousands of people called their MP.  Community leaders, cross-bench MPs and thousands of their supporters stood up and spoke out.

Unfortunately, this dangerous Bill passed the Parliament with the support of the Coalition.  However, because of community pressure, there was intense media scrutiny and this forced a Senate Hearing where critical information was unearthed, including that Labor’s deal with the Nauruan Government will cost tax payers over $2.5 billion.  

In response, L4R developed a motion that branch members could use, to express their opposition to this law.   Our concern about the implications of this new law, is set out in the background to our motion.

The link to our motion follows Anti-FairnessActL4RMotionSep25

Since urging our members to take this motion to their branch, we’ve had a a number of branches pass it unanimously and they have forwarded the motion to the relevant Ministers, as well as to their FECs.

Once again, we ask that you take this motion back to your next branch meeting and urge your branch members to support it.  If you succeed in having the motion carried, please send me an email to let me know at contact@labor4refugees.com

 

Meeting with Immigration Minister Tony Burke  Our L4R National Co-ordinating Committee, managed to secure a meeting with the Immigration Minister which will take place this morning the 15 October.

We have prioritised the issues we wish to raise with the Minister and will follow up some of the topics of concern we have conveyed to him through our letters over the past 12 months.  The outcome of our meeting will be reported to members at our Zoom meeting next Wednesday evening.  Please try to attend.   Increase Australia’s humanitarian intake On the 23 September last, we wrote to the Immigration Minister Tony Burke, in support of the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre’s (ASRC) campaign to increase Australia’s humanitarian intake to 50,000 places within 5 years.  Currently, Labor’s National Platform states “Labor aspires to progressively increase Australia’s government funded humanitarian intake to 27,000 places per year”. We believe that there is a critical need for increased intake given the record numbers of displaced people globally. Our reasons for urging this increase, can be read in our letter to the Minister L4RIncreaseRefugeeNos23Sep25 Financial Assistance Sought   Some of those refugees who are being transitioned by the Government from Temporary Protection and Safe Haven Enterprise Visas to permanency, are experiencing financial hardship.  There are a number who are not eligible to access Medicare or claim Centrelink benefits for four years after receiving permanent visas so are experiencing poverty and are struggling.  We have written to the Immigration Minister, asking him if there is a possibility of short-term access to special benefits for those demonstrating hardship.  Our letter follows L4RFinancialHardship1Oct25 We hope you can make it to our meeting next week.

Regards

Nizza Siano
Secretary L4R NSW
email:  contact@labor4refugees.com

Welcome to our newsletter!

Our next meeting will be held on WEDNESDAY 24 SEPTEMBER 2025 AT 6.30PM.

Minutes of our Annual General Meeting and ordinary meeting which followed dated 27 August 2025, can be accessed via thelink L4RNSW-ACTMinAGM&OrdMtg27Aug25

Election of Office Bearers 

The following Office Bearers were elected at our Annual General Meeting held on Wednesday 27 August 2025.

Co-Convenors (2):  Jenny Haines and Lauren Honcope
Snr Vice President:  Sabrin Farooqui
Jnr Vice Presidents (2):  Michaela Byers (1 vacancy)
Treasurer & Social Media:  Jenny Haines
Secretary:  Nizza Siano
Assistant Secretary:  Lauren Honcope
Webmaster:  Jenny Haines
Returning Officer:  Chris Haviland.

Outgoing Office Bearers, Co-Convenor Shane Prince and Assistant Secretary/Webmaster Cath Crittenden, were thanked for their many years of contribution to our Committee.  We look forward to seeing them at our meetings.

ALP NATIONAL CONFERENCE 2026 – correction

The date for the next ALP triennial National Conference, which appeared in our last newsletter, was incorrect.  The correct date is the 23rd, 24th & 25th August 2026.  It will take place in Adelaide. 

The Anti-Fairness Act

Since the Government passed the Anti-Fairness Bill on the 4 September 2025, much has been said and written by concerned refugee advocacy groups.

In response to this new law, which has the potential to remove basic legal protections, we have drafted a motion that can be used by branch members, to express their opposition to this law.   The background to our motion, sets out the reasons for our concerns and the motion itself, calls on the Labor Government to commit to a raft of demands. 

The link to our motion follows Anti-FairnessActL4RMotionSep25

We encourage you to take this motion to your next branch meeting and ask your branch members to endorse it.

People with disabilities in Immigration Detention

Since the end of last year,  Labor for Refugees has sent letters to the Immigration Minister and Attorney-General, urging the Government to implement the recommendations of the Royal Commission to remove the migration system’s exemption from disability discrimination law.  A link to these letters were included in our last newsletter in August.

We have since established that there is a Review being held by the Attorney-General’s Dept into the Disability Discrimination Act as part of the government response to the Disability Royal Commission.  The government committed $6.9 million to the review and modernisation of the Disability Discrimination Act and asked the Attorney-General’s Dept to lead it.  The Review will consider options to implement the 15 recommendations from the Disability Royal Commission, as well as further changes to improve the experiences of people with disability.

Public consultation on the review is now open until the 24 October 2025.

Labor for Refugees will make a submission to this Review.  We will be asking that Section 52 of the Disability Discrimination Act be reviewed to remove the migration system’s exemption from disability discrimination law. These exemption clauses mean that protections do not extend to people in Australia’s justice and migration system, namely refugees with disabilities.  It is most important that this flaw be rectified and that refugees with disabilities are also protected from discrimination.

The myth about Immigration numbers

There appears to be a world-wide backlash against migrants, who are an easy target for the woes of our societies.  You can see it in the numerous anti-immigration rallies being held, including in Australia.  

The issue of migration has been used by conservative and right-wing forces, as a political tool to whip up resentment of migrants by distorting the facts.  While we do need to hold a public discourse about migration numbers, we need to clear up some misconceptions.

Common misconceptions about Australian immigration numbers include the belief that migration is at record high levels and causing economic problems like inflation and housing shortages, whereas net migration has been significantly lower than pre-pandemic levels, with the post-COVID rebound smaller than the previous drop.

Another misconception is that immigration negatively impacts employment and the economy, when migrants often fill workforce gaps and contribute to economic growth. There’s also an overestimation of the proportion of immigrants from certain regions and an overemphasis on refugees, when most migrants move for work, education, or lifestyle reasons. 

Common Misconceptions & Reality
Myth: Migration is at record high levels and booming post-pandemic.

• Reality: Net overseas migration (NOM), a measure of population change, dropped significantly during the COVID-19 pandemic and while it has recently spiked, the overall numbers from mid-2020 to mid-2023 were much lower than expected due to a larger drop in arrivals and slower departure rebound. 

Myth: Immigration causes unemployment and hurts the economy.

• Reality: Migrants often fill labour shortages and contribute positively to the economy, rather than taking jobs from Australian workers. 

Myth: Immigration is the primary cause of housing shortages and inflation.

• Reality: Housing prices and inflation accelerated in late 2020 when migration was at its lowest in over a century. Other factors like rising construction costs and reduced housing construction were more significant contributors to housing affordability issues. 

Myth: Most migrants are refugees or asylum seekers.

• Reality: Most migrants move for economic reasons, work, education or lifestyle, with a very small proportion being refugees. 

Myth: Immigrants from specific regions, like the Middle East, are a disproportionately large group.

• Reality: People often overestimate the numbers from certain regions and underestimate them from others, with the largest countries of birth being England, India, China and New Zealand. 

Myth: Immigration threatens Australian culture and social cohesion.

• Reality: While integration can present challenges, the perception that immigration fundamentally threatens Australian culture is not supported by evidence and ignores the positive contributions migrants make.

Therefore, despite recent debates fueled by rising anti-immigration sentiment, it is essential to recognize the significant role immigrants have played in shaping Australia’s identity and building its economic prosperity.

 

Labor for Refugees leaflet We have updated our L4R NSW/ACT leaflet, which can be accessed at L4RNSW-ACTLeafletSep25

Our leaflet summarises some of our policy reforms and achievements, the latest situation in Nauru and Papua New Guinea, an update re the “legacy caseload” refugees who are seeking permanent residency, High Court Rulings on Indefinite Detention and the Deportation Bill and ongoing challenges that we face. The leaflet is a useful hand-out for anyone who wishes to know more about Labor for Refugees and is also thinking of becoming a member.

Regards

Nizza Siano
Secretary L4R NSW
email:  contact@labor4refugees.com

Labor for Refugees Supporters and Friends:

A motion opposing the Anti Fairness Bill follows.  You may find it useful for your L4R group and may also decide to run a campaign around it. 

DRAFT MOTION FOR ALP BRANCHES –

1. THE ANTI FAIRNESS ACT (the Home Affairs Legislation Amendment (2025 Measures No. 1) Act 2025 – the Anti-Fairness Act)
2. THE ESTABLISHMENT OF a 30 year AUSTRALIAN CONVICT COLONY in NAURU

MOTION

This Branch calls on the Labor Government to –

1. Make public as a matter of urgency the MOU with Nauru to establish a 30 year, Australian funded penal colony for effectively stateless non-citizens with criminal records and/or character traits that the Minister does not want in Australia.
2. Make public any request made by the Commonwealth to the UNHCR and any response from the UNHCR as mandated by the 2023 ALP Platform (page 141, at paragraph 5).
3. State why all Australian Territories and States cannot cope with the non-citizens in the targeted cohort, given that all jurisdictions have established criminal justice and post-penal systems for citizens.
4. Make public the alternatives that were considered by the government to the MOU with Nauru and the Anti-Fairness Act.
5. If no alternatives were considered, commit to a public enquiry into and report on alternatives.
6. Commit to not transporting any non-citizen to Nauru unless and until all reasonable measures have been taken by the Commonwealth, with Australian criminal justice and post-release professional partners, to rehabilitate, treat and settle that specific non-citizen in Australia to the same extent as is provided for a like citizen;  and to making a public statement, tabled in the Parliament and sent to the Government of Nauru, setting out those reasonable measures and stating that they failed in relation to that non-citizen.
7. Commit to establishing an independent Australian public visitor to Nauru to assess the situation of the very few non-citizens who were impossible for Australia to settle and so were transported to Nauru, and to report back to Parliament within one month of the visit in relation to each transportee.

BACKGROUND

The Government passed the Anti-Fairness Bill on 4th September 2025.

In terms of values and principles, the new law will circumvent Australia’s own rules of natural justice and procedural fairness when deporting people to Nauru and potentially other countries. It undermines our federal ALP platform, at 5.6, that Labor believes that Australia’s human rights obligations should be adhered to and understood by all Australians. Labor has a majority of seats in the parliament – 94 in fact. Added to that, the Liberal National Coalition are in disarray. There is no longer a Peter Dutton or a Tony Abbott in opposition. There is therefore no need to respond to their racist, dog-whistling ways.

This Bill has the potential to remove basic legal protections central to Australia’s democratic system, allowing the Government to forcibly deport people without warning; there will be no obligation to consider their health needs, or if they potentially face persecution or serious harm in the countries to which they are removed. This law has the worst aspects of Australia’s punitive offshore regime. Crucially, we may see the indefinite separation of families, including separation from family members who are Australian citizens.

When people are sent indefinitely against their will to a small island like Nauru: those deported will suffer greatly and their physical and mental health will worsen. The Australian Human Rights Commission has systematically documented such past disregards for human rights. Moreover, Nauru is a dysfunctional island state whose government has been associated with corruption.

The new law is a steep cost to taxpayers: $408 million paid to Nauru in the first year of a new offshore arrangement, with $70 million to be paid for each subsequent year – a total of $2.5 billion over 30 years. It would be far cheaper to rehabilitate people within Australia, or recommend that they stay in jail, if they reoffend and their crimes are serious.

With the passing of this Bill, people of refugee backgrounds are feeling scared and vulnerable. The bill says that you are never truly Australian if you have come from elsewhere.

The Government has said these laws will apply to a small group of people; however, the legislation is written broadly and could easily be used by future governments to detain or remove a much wider group of people. This is very dangerous. The laws are a slippery slope to future abuse.

Labor Party policies state that our laws should uphold fairness and justice, supporting the rights of all those in Australia, no matter what their origins. This is in alignment with our federal Labor Platform, the values of humane Australians and International human rights law.  If we want a progressive mainstream party in government, we must oppose this type of dangerous cruel policy.

Motion to be sent to:

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese

Write to:

The Hon Anthony Albanese MP
Prime Minister
Parliament House
CANBERRA ACT 2600

Email:

Minister for Immigration Tony Burke Tony.Burke.MP@aph.gov.au

Minister for Multicultural Affairs Dr Anne Aly anne.aly.mp@aph.gov.au

Attorney-General Michelle Rowland Michelle.Rowland.MP@aph.gov.au

Assistant Minister for Immigration Matt Thistlethwaite matt.thistlethwaite.mp@aph.gov.au

Assistant Minister for Multicultural Affairs Julian Hill julian.hill.mp@aph.gov.au

Send a copy to your FEC

Next L4R Meeting
Our October meeting takes place next Wednesday 23 October commencing at 6.30pm.

We held a successful and most informative meeting last month with our guest speaker Muzafar Ali, who is the Co-CEO of the Learning Centre in Indonesia, addressing our meeting. 

Muzafar reported in detail about the dire situation for refugees who are stuck in Indonesia – some for more that 12 years and some so desperate that they have suicided.  The situation has been made worse due to the fact that this year, the Australian Government stopped funding the UNHCR so these refugees are struggling even more, to survive financially. 

We came up with a number of strategies to try and encourage the Australian Government to meet it’s ALP Platform obligations to find a pathway to assist these refugees to come to Australia.  Supporting those who have skills and have received training in Indonesia, is one way of doing this by matching them with employers in Australia who are desperate for skilled workers.  

For more details of what we discussed, please read our October minutes (using the link above).

Motion for skills recognition of refugees!!  

We recently called for support for the following motion, which asks the government to remove barriers, by using a new fast-track system of skills recognition for refugees.  The motion was supported by a number of branches.  That’s great news.  However, let’s try to increase that number by having more branches endorse it at their October//November meetings.

This campaign was initiated after a refugee advocacy group in far North Queensland approached Labor for Refugees, asking for our support.  The group volunteers its services by sponsoring refugees but had regularly come up against a wall of government bureaucracy/delays when wanting to provide work for these refugees by utilising the skills of these refugees – skills that are much needed in our community.

We need to make it easier for refugees living in our community, to contribute to the workforce as well as providing them with a much needed source of income.

Once again, I urge you to take the following motion to your branch meeting and ask members to support it.

“Labor for Refugees NSW-ACT calls on the federal government to respond promptly and positively to the Billion Dollar Benefit campaign and to ensure that the government’s response includes a fast track program of skills recognition of displaced people in our community, so that they can qualify quickly to take on valuable work roles in our economy, and contribute to their own settlement and to Australian society.  L4R urges the government to ensure that this program –

      1.  includes within it, free, intense and supportive TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) and
on-going support to match displaced people’s skills; 

       2.  includes, as part of the program, early contact with relevant professional and trade bodies to ensure they understand and are supportive of the fast track professional skills program, and early connections between participants and potential employers, and relevant professional and trade bodies.” 

BACKGROUND TO MOTION  L4RSkillsRecognitionBackgroundPaper8Oct24

Further action:
L4R will urge the government to extend and expand the TBB (Talent Beyond Boundaries) Skilled Refugee Labour Agreement Pilot program so that it can become one of the reliable permanent settlement pathways for refugees in Indonesia.

Motion to be sent to: 
Minister for Home Affairs and Minister for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs Tony Burke Tony.Burke.MP@aph.gov.au
Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations of Australia Murray Watt senator.watt@aph.gov.au
Your FEC.

People with Disability in Immigration Detention

We proposed dealing with a motion a few months ago, details of which were sent to members in our September newsletter.  Our L4R member who wanted to move it at our meeting was unable to do so but will be attending our meeting next week.  If this motion is supported at our meeting, we will ask you to take it to your branch meeting and urge members to endorse it.
 

The motion with a detailed background follows RefugeesWithDisabilityMotionSep24

Good news for the Asylum Seekers Centre and for refugees!!

The Asylum Seekers Centre received a major funding boost from the NSW Government which was announced last Friday. 

Labor for Refugees NSW/ACT has always been a strong supporter of the Asylum Seekers Centre and from time to time, donated funds to the Centre as well as inviting its CEO Frances Rush to be a guest speaker at some of our events.

The Centre will be able to expand primary care clinics and meet the increasingly complex health needs of some of Sydney’s most vulnerable residents, thanks to a grant of more than $1 million.

Minister for Health Ryan Park announced funding of $1.07 million over three years for the Centre, which will help employ more clinical staff to manage the growing number of chronic illnesses such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease in the asylum seeker community.

The funding will also help the Centre address the increasing need and cost of medicine for members of the community without access to the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS).

The Asylum Seekers Centre is a not-for-profit organisation that was established in 1993 and offers practical and personal support to people seeking asylum. The Centre also provides primary healthcare services for people seeking asylum with limited Medicare eligibility through a specialist nurse-led health service with volunteer GPs and other specialists.

The Centre’s health service runs four GP clinics per week and has seen an 81 per cent increase in visits since June 2022. The complexity of visits has increased due to growing mental health presentations, an ageing population, and increased demand for pharmaceuticals, compounded by rising costs.

L4R is currently in negotiations with Frances Rush to be our keynote speaker at our Fringe Event, planned for our meeting date in November.  All the Fringe Events were cancelled at the July NSW Labor Conference.  We were promised that they would be rescheduled and they will now take the form of Zoom meetings.  NSW Labor will be promoting them once we confirm the details.

Watch this space!!!

Pride in Protest Campaign

Please see the letter below regarding an Indonesian transgender woman who has been detailed in Villawood. 
Pride in Protest is starting a campaign and seeks endorsement for the letter below.
 
We were also asked to sign a petition.  We agreed to promote the campaign and sign the petition.

Dear Minister for Immigration, Minister for Home Affairs, Minister for Health and Assistant Minister for Health.

On your watch, as a direct result of racist profiling, the Federal Government has violated the human rights of Asian migrant women, resulting in transgender women being held in immigration detention, with their health needs being denied and at risk of transphobic violence.
 
After losing work for an Australian company because of transphobic discrimination, an Indonesian transgender woman was profiled at the border, detained and continues to suffer mental, physical and sexual human rights abuses in detention.

We are calling on the Federal Government to act now to restore dignity and safety to the transgender women in immigration detention, and ensure nobody else is put through the harm that too many others have been put through:

1. End profiling and turning back of Asian women at the border.

2. Dignity and safety for transgender people in immigration detention. Implement best standard health care protocols for trans people in detention, training for staff, fair access to hormones and other essential medical care, independent and transparent complaints process, and introduce routine external audits of detention conditions.

3. End mandatory detention of people awaiting immigration decisions and outcomes.
LGBTQIA+ and all asylum seekers should be supported to be housed in the community while awaiting immigration and
visa decisions. Close the detention centres, end offshore detention, and assess individuals from their location in the
community.

4. No deportations to danger. End the practice of deporting people seeking asylum.

Please consider taking this motion to your branch meeting and asking members to support it.

I hope we will see you at our meeting next week.

Nizza Siano
Secretary L4R NSW
email:  contact@labor4refugees.com 

Our usual 27 November monthly meeting will be replaced by a L4R Fringe Event.
This will be the last time we meet in 2024.

Our Labor for Refugees Fringe Event was meant to take place at the NSW Labor Conference earlier this year.  However, the Fringe Events were cancelled by NSW Labor with a promise that they would take place at a later time.
 
Our Fringe Event is now being held online at 6.30pm on Wednesday 27 November 2024.

We are very lucky that the same guests invited to our original Fringe Event, are still available.

They are:

• Dr Graham Thom, international refugee specialist
• Frances Rush OAM, Asylum Seekers Centre CEO
• Thouraya Lahmadi, refugee and writer

In this session, our guests will unpack the trends, insights, and experiences that must shape refugee policy in Australia.

From exploring the High Court’s ruling on immigration detention to highlighting the stark reality for a person seeking safety without a safety net, this session will highlight what we must do in order to provide protection for those who need it.

The link to the leaflet follows L4RFringeEvent27Nov25
 

Please rsvp by clicking the following link and complete the form https://6b2swhmjz0t.typeform.com/to/xiSs6QXO 

The Zoom link to our event will be sent to you prior to 27 November.

I hope to see you at our Fringe Event on the 27 November.

Regards Nizza Siano Secretary L4R NSW email:  contact@labor4refugees.com

Next L4R meeting in June

Please attend our meeting to discuss where to now, after Labor’s win in the recent election.  Labor can no longer hide behind the fear that it will be wedged by the Coalition if it dares to implement its own refugee policies, adopted at the ALP National Conference in 2023. 

Issues that deal with refugees, must no longer be treated as the ‘elephant in the room’, just because refugees did not feature as a priority in the election campaign.

The Minutes of our previous meeting dated 28 May follow MinutesNSW-ACT28May25

Ride for Education – update in the lead up to Refugee Week
The Cisarua Learning Centre in Indonesia is fundraising for the Centre and for women in Afghanistan with Muzafar Ali and his team’s marathon bike ride.

The epic journey continues.  They are currently heading down to Moruya for a screening of The Staging Post.

Yesterday (Tuesday), they had a beautiful event in Canberra and a hugely significant visit to the Embassy of Afghanistan.
The Embassy, as seen by the mulit-coloured flag, still represents the Republic of Afghanistan and not the Taliban Regime.
Muzafar spoke strongly for women’s education and freedom which is restricted by the Taliban.

There are plenty more events in Canberra and the south.  They hope you can make it out to see them at one of their events in Victoria & South Australia.
 

Members of the team participating in this ride, are overwhelmed by the love and encouragement they have received and have asked you to consider joining the WhatsApp Group or Instagram to follow them. There’s been dancing, films, feasts, friends and plenty of riding!
 

NOW IS THE TIME TO MAKE A DONATION.  DONATIONS ARE TAX DEDUCTIBLE. HELP POWER THEM THROUGH TO ADELAIDE — SUPPORT THE RIDE HERE

Basic route information follows https://rideforeducation.com/route 

High Court challenge launched for man facing deportation to Nauru

Everybody deserves to live with dignity and fairness, regardless of visa status.
But refugees and migrants are being singled out for harsher treatment by Australia’s cruel migration laws.
 
The Human Rights Law Centre (HRLC) has filed proceedings in the High Court on behalf of one man. Please read the following article published by the HRLC.

https://www.hrlc.org.au/updates/deportation-challenge/  2 April 2025

Skills recognition of Refugees

 An Australian Institute of Family Studies report tracking the long-term employment of refugees showed that almost half of all those previously working as managers and professionals are, 10 years later, still not working in those kinds of jobs in Australia. The study surveyed about 2,400 humanitarian migrants over a decade. The report recommended more coordinated recognition of skills and qualifications gained overseas, as well as inclusive recruitment practices and language support.

The persistent employment struggles of refugees’ (audio), SBS 11 June 2025

Almost half of refugees suffering from ‘occupational downgrade’ 10 years after settling  ABC News 11 June 2025

You may recall that Labor for Refugees ran a campaign last year re this issue and wrote to Federal and State Ministers about the urgent need to fast track skilled refugees.  The motion we asked our members to take to their branches to support, was circulated including the background information.   

The link to the motion followsL4RNSW-ACTSkillsRecognitionRefugeesOct 24

It’s not too late to endorse this motion at your next branch meeting.  It can then be submitted to the next NSW ALP Conference as an agenda item.  Also to the next ACT Conference.

Hopefully, this report may ignite some interest from our politicians, and prompt them to address this issue which would benefit these refugees/migrants as well as our wider community.

Nizza Siano
Secretary L4R NSW
email:  contact@labor4refugees.com 

Next L4R Meeting
I hope you had a good break over the festive season. 
Unfortunately, we have now had to return to the reality of a depressing world filled with a lot of ugliness and suffering. 

I find the best way to deal with feelings of despondency, is to get active and work with like-minded people to try and address some of these challenging issues over which we have some control.

The federal election will be upon us very soon and as disillusioned as some of us feel about some of the Labor Government’s policies, it would be a tragedy if the Coalition headed by Peter Dutton, formed government.  We cannot afford to allow the Coalition to win.  It was difficult enough trying to unscramble the mess that the Coalition left for Labor to fix when Labor formed Government.  A decade of retrograde policies.  Imagine if we had to go through that again!

Asylum Matters

The minutes for October 2024, were sent to you last year, with our notice for our Fringe Event special meeting called “Asylum Matters”.  This event took place on the 27 November 2024, in lieu of our normal monthly meeting. 

Thirty people attended the November special Fringe Event to view the presentations made by our three guest speakers.

They were Frances Rush OAM, CEO of the Asylum Seekers Centre, Dr Graham Thom, international refugee specialist (now working for the Refugee Council of Australia) and Thouraya Lahmadi, refugee and writer. 

They unpacked the trends, insights and experiences that they believed must shape refugee policy in Australia.  They also explored the High Court’s ruling on immigration detention and highlighted the stark reality for a person seeking safety without a safety net.  The session highlighted what we must do in order to provide protection for those who need it.

Plenty of time was put aside at the end of the presentations, to accommodate questions from members.

People with Disability in Immigration Detention 

At our October meeting 2024, we discussed a motion re people with disability in Immigration Detention who had greater than usual challenges confronting them.  The motion urged the government to implement the recommendations of the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability.  On the 2 November, 2024, we wrote to Immigration Minister Tony Burke as well as to three other key Federal Ministers (Giles, Rishworth and Shorten), and to the Australia & the World Policy Committee (Int Affairs Policy C’tee in the ACT), requesting their support.

Please read our letter here PeoplewithDisabilityinImmigDetentionL4Rmotion2Nov24 and the response received on the 27 November 2024 from Immigration Minister Tony Burke herePeoplewithDisabilityinImmigrationDetnResponsefromMinBurke27Nov24

Photo Exhibition on Afghanistan

We held a successful meeting in September last year with guest speaker Muzafar Ali, who is the Co-CEO of the Cisarua Learning Centre in Indonesia.  Muzafar updated us about the dire situation for refugees in Indonesia and spoke about finding pathways for trained refugees stuck in Indonesia. 

Muzafar is also a Hazara photographer from Afghanistan.  He has made films on Afghans in Australia and Indonesia. You may have seen the film on the school in Cisarua “The Staging Post”.

There is a new photographic exhibition by Muzafar at the Shoalhaven Regional Gallery, Nowra which runs from 15 February until the 8 March.   He secretly returned to his homeland to photograph the realities of daily life under the Taliban. Since the Taliban captured Afghanistan in 2021 girls have been banned from high school education along with many other restrictions. This exhibition includes images of the underground schools where girls are risking their lives to get an education. 

Here is the link https://www.shoalhavenregionalgallery.com.au/Whats-on/Exhibitions/Finding-Hope-in-Afghanistan

I hope you can make it to the exhibition.

I also hope we will see you at our meeting next week.

Regards Nizza Siano Secretary L4R NSW email:  contact@labor4refugees.com