Cuts to asylum seeker payments (SRSS) – Nina Springle
Earlier this year the federal government announced drastic cuts to support for asylum seekers in Australia waiting for a decision on their visa application. Over half of all asylum seekers on government support, called status resolution support services (SRSS), will lose their basic income (around $35 a day), case management and access to trauma and torture counselling services.
The cuts will affect thousands of people in Victoria, many of whom are already struggling to buy food and pay for rent. Unless the federal government reverses these cuts, or the state government takes action, between 2000-4000 asylum seekers in Victoria will almost certainly become homeless. In my own electorate in south-east Melbourne, well over 1000 people are expected to lose their payment, many of whom are families with small children.
We cannot stand by and allow this to happen in our communities. The Andrews Government must step in and look after our most vulnerable to stop this from becoming a humanitarian crisis. The Greens have today outlined a plan to commit $13 million to cover supports to affected people for the next six months as an emergency measure. We’re calling on the Andrews Government to step up and support our plan.
– Nina Springle
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