Please Support the Increasing Needs of Asylum Seekers

The Salvation Army is seeking support from the community to help ensure asylum seekers are provided with the care and assistance they need to build a stable life in Australia. It is anticipated that asylum seekers will soon need more support, meaning that services like The Salvation Army currently providing care to asylum seekers will be under pressure and stretched beyond capacity. 

"We are aware that there are some potential changes being made to the federal support made available to asylum seekers and in anticipation of meeting the needs of people who seek our support we are appealing to the community to help us," said Major Karen Elkington, Manager of The Salvation Army's Asylum Seeker and Refugee Service.

"Through our service we have been able to extend care to thousands of asylum seekers and refugees for the last seven years since we opened the service. We are working with people who have experienced significant trauma and distress and being able to provide them with practical things like food and financial assistance, as well as mentoring and support to help them adjust to their life in Australia is absolutely critical," she said. 

"Our service is already at capacity and in readiness for changes to government support available, we are asking the community to make a donation to The Salvation Army so that we can use these funds specifically to support asylum seekers in our community. Hundreds of people may be impacted by these changes in coming weeks and we urgently require donations to ensure we can respond. All donations will make a real difference to people experiencing severe hardship and not only allows us to meet the most basic of needs but also says clearly that asylum seekers are welcome in Australia and are an important part of our community," said Major Elkington.