To:
Prime Minister Morrison
Minister Greg Hunt
Minister Anne Ruston
People seeking asylum and refugees are being forgotten in your COVID-19 crisis plan.
I call on you and your government to urgently introduce an emergency plan to give all people and families seeking asylum inclusive access to:
- Medicare and Telehealth services
- Centrelink income support payments with standard eligibility criteria
- Social services including for family violence
- Any COVID-19 crisis support services, funds from stimulus package, and wage subsidies for workers
30,000 women, men and children are on temporary and bridging visas or without a visa.
1000’s are excluded from any safety net of Medicare and Centrelink.
1200 people were transferred to Australia for medical care over the past three years and many live without basic support.
Up to 7000 people seeking asylum, many of whom are children, are cut off from their only safety net of Status Resolution Support Services, and live without income support or medical care.
1000’s of people seeking asylum who are in casual, insecure or exploitative work are at risk of losing work hours in the crisis.
Parents have no support to feed and help families, elderly and children survive COVID-19.
Tens of thousands of people seeking asylum and refugees rely on charity from service organisations and the good will of Australians for rent, food and healthcare to survive.
Organisations and communities are already stretched, and will be overwhelmed in the coming weeks and months due to COVID-19 economic and health impacts.
Only you and your government can now protect vulnerable people from extreme hardship, hunger, COVID-19 infection and loss of life.
I look forward to your responsive action to protect these most vulnerable people and families in Australia.
Yours in hope,