Queenscliff community members can take a walk for change and help advocate for people seeking asylum across the country.
Queenscliff Rural Australians for Refugees will host its second Big Walk for Refugees on June 21 to call for fairness, compassion and permanency for all refugees.
Convener Sue Longmore said refugees have lived in “anguish, uncertainty and stress” over the years, with many people separated from their closest family members.
“We are walking to demand permanency for the up to 8000 people who sought safe refuge in Australia almost 13 years ago,” she said.
“Some don’t have work rights, so they have to rely on the community’s support to live. Some also don’t have access to Medicare, which then poses its own problems.
“Some of them are married, but their partners and children remain in precarious circumstances overseas, and they’re unable to visit them because if they leave the country, they lose their appeal for refuge.”
The event will begin at 10am at the Queenscliff Memorial Gardens (58-62 Flinders Street) with presentations by Borough of Queenscliffe councillor Isabelle Tolhurst and a Tamil refugee who was given permanency after 11 years of limbo in Australia.
The close to 4km walk will begin along the Springs Foreshore and back following the speeches, with people invited to bring along some food and a rug for a picnic at Citizens Park afterwards.
Ms Longmore said the walk was open to everyone as communities could be “really powerful if they stick together”.
“The government needs to implement a simple process that can transfer them from their temporary status to permanency,” she said.
“They’re friends, neighbours, people our children have gone to school with, and workmates, so they’re part of our society, and they need to be treated equally.
“A lot of people don’t realise that this has happened to this group of people, and when they hear about it, they can’t understand why they’ve been allowed to be in this position for so long.”
The Queenscliff event forms part of an Australia-wide virtual walk throughout this month. Visit bigwalk4refugees.au for more information.
