This page will be changed periodically to display an article of relevance or interest, generally sourced from a third party such as a news site, magazine etc.
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23 April 2019
A Coalition government decision to slash income support for community-based asylum seekers has forced hundreds more to access emergency housing and food banks.
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Eligibility requirements for Status Resolution Support Services (SRSS) – about 89% of Newstart or $250 a week – were tightened in June last year, saving the budget about $90m. The changes will eventually reduce the number of recipients from 13,000 to about 5,000, advocates say.
The Asylum Seeker Resource Centre (ASRC) said in a report released on Tuesday that the cuts had already led to a huge surge in demand for food and accommodation.
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Cuts to asylum seeker welfare create surge in demand for food and housing
Scott Morrison defends spending $185m reopening Christmas Island centre
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7 April 2019
PM attempts to justify reopening detention centre – which has not taken in a single refugee – by saying it is a deterrent
Scott Morrison has defended spending $185m reopening an immigration detention centre on Christmas Island only to shut it down again.
The prime minister said the resurrected facility, which has not taken in a single refugee since reopening six weeks ago, was doing its job.
“It is providing a deterrent to those who would have looked to game the system,” he told reporters in Sydney on Sunday.
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The Government Wasted $185 Million On A Massive Lie About Refugees
3 April 2019
Here’s a nugget of information that didn’t quite make it into Josh Frydenberg’s budget speech: the government is now planning to close its detention centre on Christmas Island, just months after spending a cool $185 million to reopen it.
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