Australia's migration system is broken.
It's heartening to see Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Home Affairs Minister Clare O'Neil acknowledge this today ahead of the release of the federal government's migration review. For the close to two million guest workers in Australia, their visa status is essentially "permanently temporary".
This state of indefinite limbo has adverse impacts on the health and wellbeing of our diverse communities, as outlined in our 2022 submission to the migration review. Improving pathways to permanency is critical to reform of our immigration system.
We welcome last week's announcement to grant New Zealanders living in Australia an expedited pathway to citizenship but would like to see a simplified visa system and improved pathways for for other communities seeking a secure future in Australia.
Last week we were delighted to attend the launch of Victoria University's anti-racism roadmap for Melbourne's south-east last week. Combatting racism is one of ECCV's key objectives, and it was fantastic to see the work being done to tackle racism on a grassroots level. We are pleased to be working with Victoria University on a research project aimed at improving reporting pathways and supports for Victorians who experience racism.
Anti-racism will be the theme of our upcoming Member Forum on Thursday, 15 June 2023, and we invite you to save the date. The Forum will focus on ways to address racism and improve anti-racism support on a local and statewide level. We look forward to sharing more information about the Forum soon.
Eddie Micallef, Chairperson
Supporting our communities to access the PSB
ECCV's multicultural outreach team has been busy working to support migrant and refugee communities to access the Victorian government's Power Saving Bonus. Since a new round of the Bonus began on 24 March, ECCV has helped more than 1500 households secure the $250 payment and learn more about how to save money on their energy bills.
Update on emergency management partnership
ECCV is currently supporting the Multicultural Emergency Management Partnership (MEMP) to develop a governance structure to allow it to continue its work strengthening relationships and embedding a long-term, inclusive approach to emergency management. The MEMP is also working to build a wider network of emergency agencies interested in working with multicultural communities.
Meeting of Victorian Access & Support Network
Last month, ECCV was pleased to host a workshop for the Access & Support (A&S) Network at our Coburg office. The workshop was highly insightful, with members discussing the challenges of navigating the transition from A&S to the new care finder program and their concerns for the impact of the reforms on older people from diverse backgrounds.
Multicultural carer needs forum now online
In partnership with Carers Victoria, ECCV held an online forum in early April to discuss carer needs in multicultural communities. We had a fantastic turnout with more than 50 people attending. It was a great opportunity to consolidate what has been achieved as part of ECCV's Recognising and Respecting Carers project, and to consider what needs to be done next.
- Watch the forum (67 mins)
Regional community session on anti-racism
Victoria University (VU) held its first anti-racism community session in Morwell this month to canvass the experiences and insights of local multicultural communities on racism and how to address it. The event was part of a research project aiming to improve anti-racism support, conducted by VU in partnership with ECCV and the Islamic Council of Victoria, funded by VicHealth.
Free elder abuse awareness training program | 2 and 9 May 2023
ECCV is running a two-day bilingual community educator training workshop as part of our Elder Abuse Awareness project. This free training program aims to equip people with the skills and resources to deliver in-language information sessions on how to prevent, identify and respond to elder abuse. Educators are paid for the sessions they conduct.
Hot off the press: Our Golden Years
The latest edition of Our Golden Years, ECCV's biannual print newsletter for multicultural and ethno-specific seniors clubs and associations, is out now. Our Golden Years has a reach of over 500 seniors clubs and associations across the state. This issue features an interview with COTA Senior Achiever Award recipient Jagdish Chander (pictured), a guide to future planning, and more.