By Alesha Capone
More than 2900 asylum seekers on a bridging visa were living Melbourne’s northern and western suburbs, as of March this year.
Figures from the Department of Premier and Cabinet showed that out 5466 asylum seekers on a bridging visa in Victoria, 2974 were residing in the north and west.
Out of this total, 1043 asylum seekers moved to Brimbank and 801 asylum seekers moved to Whittlesea.
Another 435 asylum seekers have moved to Hume, 246 to Wyndham, 185 to Maribyrnong, 103 to Melton, 85 to Moonee Valley and 45 to Hobsons Bay.
Some asylum seekers on bridging visas are able to live in the community while awaiting a government decision on whether they will be allowed to remain in Australia or not.
Earlier this month, the Footscray-based Asylum Seeker Resource Centre (ASRC) made a submission to the federal government’s COVID-19 senate inquiry.
The submission said the ASRC has seen a three-fold increase in demand for food, health and employment services during the COVID-19 crisis, due to asylum seekers being excluded from JobKeeper, JobSeeker and Medicare.
More than 30 councils across the nation, including Wyndham, Brimbank, Maribyrnong, Hobsons Bay and Hume, have joined a campaign calling on the federal government to provide asylum seekers with a “liveable income”.
Wyndham’s cultural diversity portfolio holder, Cr Henry Barlow, said: “The COVID-19 pandemic has made deepened [asylum seekers’] financial crisis because their casual work has dried up and they are not eligible for Centrelink benefits.
“Apart from actual homeless people, such as those who you see sleeping in doorways and chairs in Bourke Street, these asylum seekers are the most vulnerable people in Australia.”
A Department of Home Affairs spokesperson said there were “a range of support services are available for asylum seekers in Australia”.
“Eligibility for support services depends on a range of factors, including the visa that the person holds, any pending visa applications, their individual circumstances, as well as eligibility under Social Security legislation,” the spokesperson said.
