Sarah and Joseph arrived in Australia from Palestine early this year on a tourist visa, following the escalation of the war in Gaza. 

Sarah* and Joseph* have three children: two preschoolers and one in primary school.

The family speak limited English and live in a very crowded house in Western Sydney, with the relative who sponsored them.

The family were advised by friends to approach JRS Australia to help them settle. At the time of referral, the family had intentions of applying for protection but had no idea where to start from. Meanwhile, their sponsor was struggling to feed the family due to the high cost of living. 

Sarah shared how difficult her family’s journey had been so far.

“We lost everything. We came with nothing but a very small suitcase,” Sarah shared with Rose, our Casework and Emergency Relief Manager. “The situation was very bad, and everyone was running for their lives. We lived in a school compound for months with very limited food and water, worrying constantly for our lives before the journey to Australia commenced.”

We work hard to provide support, stability and accompaniment to families seeking asylum, while they navigate their next steps.

JRS Australia has been able to provide crucial assistance to Sarah and Joseph’s family, through our Casework and Emergency Relief Program:

• We have assisted in connecting the family with the Refugee Advocacy and Casework Service (RACS) to help with their visa concerns.
• Sarah and her family now also receive fortnightly food from our Foodbank in Parramatta, and the casework team has been able to provide the family with blankets, and clothing from our partners Thread Together, and Dandelion.
• Sarah and Joseph attend English classes at our JRS Australia office every Tuesday, and their two preschool children have now been enrolled with Goodstart Early Learning Centre to access early learning education for their care and development. 

Speaking to our Casework and Emergency Relief Manager, Rose, Sarah shared how important it has been for her family to have a advocates in her corner.

“I am very grateful for the help that JRS has provided, the office feels like my safe space, everyone is so friendly and welcoming, they listen to me carefully for my needs. I was worried that my 4-year-old would not be able to attend preschool as we are unable to afford the fees, now he will start going to preschool 3 days a week with his almost 3-year-old sister, learn English and make new friends.” 

Navigating the next steps requires a helping hand

The family now have a bridging visa E, which means they still have no working rights or access to Medicare. Although an application has been made for the family to be granted this access, this may take some time to be considered and approved, if at all. 

In the meantime, we can provide adhoc emergency relief payments for the family to assist with accessing doctors’ appointments and buying medication. 

The family also receives food vouchers or gift cards to assist with buying essential and personal items that our Foodbank bank does not have. 

Our Casework and Emergency Relief team is still working with the family to secure accommodation, however this is constantly the biggest challenge in our work.

The rental market is very competitive, prohibitively expensive, and the family have no rental history. The family also have no regular income and are unable to access “Status Resolution Support Services” (SRSS) payments through Centrelink, as they do not meet the restrictive eligibility criteria.  

This is why our ongoing Casework and Emergency Relief work is so crucial.  

Through our language programs, Sarah and Joseph will become more confident speaking English, which will open up many doors for them to advocate for themselves and seek the information they need.  

Now that their children are in early childhood education, Sarah and Joseph can also be supported to secure meaningful employment in Australia – subject to a positive visa outcome.

Our hope is that through our Casework and Emergency Relief work, Sarah and Joseph will be enabled with the building blocks for a safe, secure and happy life in Australia, where they have the skills and resources to support themselves, provide for their family, and build a permanent future in our community.  

We can’t do this work without you.  

We receive no State or Federal Government funding for our Casework and all our emergency relief payments come from our core funds – your donations.  

If you would like to help people like Sarah, Joseph, and their children, please consider making a financial gift to JRS Australia.  

Every contribution makes a difference. By donating today, you are actively participating in our mission to accompany, serve and advocate for the rights of refugees and people seeking asylum.  

*Please note names and details have been changed in this story to ensure anonymity.