Media Releases

The Federation of Ethnic Communities’ Councils of Australia (FECCA) welcomes the announcement of the Government’s Women’s Safety Package, particularly the inclusion of measures targeting culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) women.

As part of the package, the eSafety Commission will develop a resource package about online safety for women, including for women from CALD communities. A further $15 million has been allocated to establish specialised domestic violence units to provide access to coordinated legal, social work and cultural liaison services for women in a single location, and allow legal services to work with local hospitals, including women from culturally and linguistically diverse communities.

FECCA emphasises the importance of including culturally and linguistically diverse women’s voices, and considering the complex challenges faced by migrant and refugee women as part of the national conversation on domestic and family violence.

“Anecdotal evidence shows that the rate of violence perpetrated against culturally and linguistically diverse women is very high,” said FECCA Women’s Chair Pallavi Sinha. “CALD women face intersectional barriers to reporting domestic violence including language, lack of support networks, and cultural factors.”

FECCA commends the announcement of this Women’s Safety Package by the Government and looks forward to its implementation of these important measures.

Media Comments: FECCA Office – (02) 6282 5755, media@fecca.org.au.

The Senate Community Affairs References Committee released its report of the inquiry on the impact on service quality, efficiency and sustainability of recent Commonwealth community service tendering processes by the Department of Social Services (DSS) on 16 September 2015. FECCA and other multicultural and settlement sector organisations made submissions to the Committee.

The Committee found that the DSS tendering process did not appear to have been equitable and transparent, with an apparent inherent bias toward larger providers at the expense of local knowledge and expertise that smaller providers have developed in response to their clients’ needs. It also found that the tendering has impacted on the relationships between providers through a competitive process.

FECCA’s submission to the committee

In its submission to the inquiry, FECCA raised concerns that ethno-specific and multicultural organisations, which no longer receive funding for their programs and projects, would need to scale back or discontinue services to their communities, with some organisations at risk of having to close.

The report recognised an important issue raised in FECCA’s submission, that the loss of grant funding has resulted in reduced capacity for multicultural sector organisations to deliver highly needed services to their clients and communities.

FECCA’s submission also reflected feedback from its constituency that indicated that larger, mainstream providers may not have appropriate cultural expertise in place to service CALD communities effectively.

Report recommendations

The report has 12 recommendations, including:

• that the selection criteria for future tendering processes need to consider the contribution small, community-based organisations provide to their community beyond the service they are directly funded to provide;
• that advocacy support should be considered a vital component of community services in future funding arrangements and is given appropriate weighting in funding assessments;
• that the Auditor-General should conduct its own review into the tendering process, including examining the extent to which the capacity for community-based service delivery, particularly the capacity to provide services to CALD and Indigenous communities, was factored into the tender selection process; and
• an examination of the impacts of the tendering process on service delivery, advocacy and the support available to vulnerable people and communities.

Conclusion

FECCA emphasises the need to enhance collaboration with, and seek advice from, the community sector, including multicultural and settlement organisations, with a view to enabling expert input into the DSS grants tendering process.

We welcome the publication of the Committee’s report and looks forward to the Government’s response to the recommendations. FECCA also looks forward to engaging productively with DSS, with a view to enhancing future tendering processes.

To read the Committee’s report click here.

To read FECCA’s submission to the inquiry click here.

Media Comments: FECCA Office – (02) 6282 5755, media@fecca.org.au.

Tasmanian Local Governments have been urged to do more to attract and retain migrants and refugees to the state at a forum held in Hobart today.

The forum attended by 60 people from local government and community organisations will hear about the best practise policies of local governments around Australia. It will hear that Tasmanian local government needs to increase their efforts and actions in order to improve social cohesion in its communities and build Tasmania’s migrant population.

Joe Caputo and Gulnara Abbasova, of the Federation of Ethnic Community Councils of Australia and Robin Banks, Tasmania’s Anti-Discrimination Commissioner will be speakers at the forum held at Hobart Town Hall.

“The actions of local government are key to creating happy and harmonious communities and there are many benefits for cities that come from increasing cultural diversity and retaining more migrants,” said Mr Joe Caputo who is a former Mayor of Moreland City Council.

“The Multicultural Council of Tasmania research shows us that there is limited action occurring in Tasmanian Councils at this stage and much more could be done, drawing on the ideas and case studies of Councils in other states. We want to inspire and challenge Tasmanian Councils to do much more.”

“Currently Tasmania has a much lower percentage of migrants and refugees than all other states of Australia, and this is one important factor why Tasmania has not grown as quickly in recent decades as the others States have,” said Mr Caputo.

There are several important steps that Councils can take to ensure they are building cohesion and creating a diverse and tolerant community. We know that migrants and refugees are more likely to settle in communities that are welcoming and provide opportunities for new residents,” said Mr Caputo.

The Multicultural Council of Tasmania research shows that only one Tasmanian Council has a multicultural strategy and only three have signed up to the national Racism Stops with Me campaign.

Forum will be briefed on two guidance documents – ‘Building social cohesion in our communities’ from the Australian Human Rights Commission and ‘Local government and best practice in multicultural policy and programs’ from the Multicultural Council of Tasmania.

Media Comments: FECCA Office – (02) 6282 5755, media@fecca.org.au or Anna Reynolds on 0423 222 149.

The Federation of Ethnic Communities’ Councils of Australia (FECCA) and the Salvation Army have appeared together before a public hearing today, to discuss the recently released Productivity Commission draft report on Australia’s Workplace Relations Framework.

The Commission’s draft report acknowledges that unlawful migrant workers are particularly vulnerable because they are not protected under the Fair Work Act.  However, the two formal recommendations made in the report, do not directly address or minimise these vulnerabilities.

FECCA Chair Joe Caputo said, “It is critical that we ensure temporary migrant workers are protected, particularly given the widespread reports of significant exploitation of International students in 7-eleven franchises across Australia.”

Heather Moore, Advocacy Coordinator for The Salvation Army’s Freedom Partnership to End Modern Slavery said, “Our main concern is that we are so heavily focused on the unlawful workers deliberately defrauding the system, that we are jeopardising the well-being of those most vulnerable, including potential victims of modern slavery.”

“Labour and migration policy must be synchronised with anti-slavery policy.  Failure to address the vulnerabilities of migrant workers undermines Australia’s commitments in its National Action Plan to Combat Human Trafficking and Slavery.”

“The protection of migrant workers is vital for a sustainable and equitable society.  We would recommend mechanisms focused on assisting workers be put in place, rather than a punitive approach”, said Mr Caputo.

FECCA and the Salvation Army recommend:

• Enhancing the focus of compliance monitoring on labour hire companies and employers rather than on visa holders, who may unknowingly or unwillingly be in breach of visa conditions as a result of their employer’s actions;
• Allowing migrant workers who have been trafficked or subjected to significant exploitation, such as significant underpayment of wages, to remain in Australia if, and for as long as, they are pursuing civil remedies of compensation from the employer or if they are involved in any Fair Work processes; and
• Providing information about rights and responsibilities to all migrant workers coming to Australia, and linking these workers with community organisations that provide services to migrants for orientation sessions.

Media Comments: FECCA Office – (02) 6282 5755, media@fecca.org.au.

The Salvation Army – (02) 9266 9820, mediaofficer@aue.salvationarmy.org.

The Federation of Ethnic Communities’ Councils of Australia (FECCA) welcomes the Australian Government’s commitment to offer permanent protection to 12,000 Syrian refugees, in response to this global refugee crisis.

FECCA Chair Joe Caputo said, “It is very encouraging to see the Prime Minister increase the refugee resettlement numbers in order to respond effectively to this growing humanitarian crisis.  We believe Australia can play an important role rebuilding their lives.”

We applaud the Government’s commitment today, but call for a longer-term vision with sustainable, equitable and non-discriminatory humanitarian practices.  With over 4 million people displaced by this crisis, it is important to have a humanitarian program, responsive to the refugee situation occurring across the world and that meets growing global needs for resettlement.

“FECCA would like to reaffirm the need to resettle all refugees identified by the UNHCR, regardless of their cultural, linguistic or religious background”, said Mr Caputo.

We would also like to express our solidarity with the settlement sector, who are very well positioned to support an increased intake.

This increase in refugee resettlement will be well supported by the State Governments of New South Wales, South Australia, Tasmania, Queensland and Victoria (in particular), who have both the capacity and will to provide assistance.  In addition, there is strong support for refugee resettlement in regional centres, with its huge social, cultural and economic potential.

Media Comments: FECCA Office – (02) 6282 5755, media@fecca.org.au.

The Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security released its report on the Australian Citizenship Amendment (Allegiance to Australia) Bill 2015 today.  FECCA made a submission to the inquiry and appeared before the Committee to discuss its concerns about the Bill, including the effect that the legislation, if passed, will have on social cohesion, its impact on children, and its compliance with fundamental rights.

The report sets out 27 recommendations, including that the Bill should be passed following the implementation of the recommendations in the report.  It is encouraging to see that the Committee has included recommendations to limit the operation of the proposed provisions, strengthen the safeguards for children, and address some of the procedural concerns raised by FECCA.

Limiting the operation of the Bill
The Committee recommends that the Bill be amended to limit the operation of s 33AA, which provides that an individual renounces their Australian citizenship if they engage in certain conduct, to individuals who have engaged in relevant conduct offshore, or engaged in relevant conduct onshore and left Australia before being charged and brought to trial in respect of that conduct.

The Committee also recommends that for the conviction-based provision (s 35A) the Minister should be required to make a positive decision that a person’s citizenship should be lost, taking into account allegiance and public interest factors.  It further recommends that the list of relevant offences in the proposed s 35A be amended to exclude offences that carry a maximum penalty of less than 10 years imprisonment and certain Crimes Act offences that have never been used.  The offence for ‘destroying or damaging Commonwealth property’ is among those that the Committee recommends should be removed from the Bill.

Addressing procedural concerns
The current Bill exempts the application of s 39 of the ASIO Act, potentially allowing the Minister for Immigration to use intelligence which does not amount to a security assessment to issue notice that an individual’s Australian citizenship has been ceased.  The Committee recommends that the Bill be amended so that s 39 ASIO Act is not exempted, and consequently, a security assessment would be required before the Minister can take prescribed administrative action.

Recommendations made by the Committee would also require the Minister for Immigration to provide, or make reasonable attempts to provide, the affected person with written notice that citizenship has been lost or revoked.  If the Minister determines not to notify the affected person, this decision should be reviewed within 6 months and every 6 months thereafter.  The Committee recommends that the notice include the reasons for the loss of citizenship and an explanation of the person’s review rights.

The Committee also recommends that the Minister be required to consider exercising their discretion to exempt a person from the effects of the relevant provisions revoking or ceasing their Australian citizenship, including considering whether the affected person would be able to access the citizenship rights in their other country of citizenship or nationality, and the extent of their connection to that country.

Children
A number of recommendations recommend amendments to include consideration of the age of the person and, for a person under 18, the best interests of the child as a primary consideration when the Minister is exercising a number of discretions in the Bill.  Further, the Committee recommends that no part of the Bill should apply to conduct by a child aged less than 10 years, and that the conduct-based provisions in sections 33AA and 35 should not apply to conduct by a child aged under 14 years.  The Committee has also recommended that section 36 of the Australian Citizenship Act, which enables the Minister to revoke a child’s citizenship following revocation of a parent’s citizenship, should not apply to any of the proposed new sections in the Bill.

Retrospective operation
The Committee recommends that the conviction-based provision (s 35A) be applied retrospectively to convictions where sentence of ten years or more have been handed down by a court.

Accountability measures
A number of accountability measures are included in the Bill, including:

• That the Committee’s functions be extended to include monitoring and reviewing the performance of the Department of Immigration and Border Protection of its functions under the provisions of the Bill;
• That the Minister be required to advise the Committee upon issuing a notice for the loss of citizenship under the Bill;
• That the Committee complete a review of the revocation of citizenship provisions by 1 December 2019.

Conclusion
FECCA is encouraged by the Committee’s recommendations, however, the ‘self-executing’ nature of some parts of the Bill remains concerning.  The revocation of an individual’s citizenship is a significant consequence, and should be confined to those dual nationals who have been convicted of relevant offences by a court.

FECCA highlights the importance of citizenship policy to achieving and maintaining social cohesion in the Australian community by giving migrants a sense of belonging and acceptance.

To read the Committee’s report click here.
To read FECCA’s submission to the inquiry click here.

Media Comments: FECCA Office – (02) 6282 5755, media@fecca.org.au.

The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) has released for the first time today, detailed information on the sources of migrant personal incomes in Australia.  The data draws on information relating to personal incomes received for the 2009-10 financial year and has been broken down to State level.

The average employee income of a skilled visa holder was approximately $5,000 higher than the national average of Australian taxpayers, while the average employee income of humanitarian visa holders was well below the national average of Australian taxpayers.

The ABS data indicates that the average employee income of family visa holders was well below the national average of Australian taxpayers.  Family stream migrants represented 22% of total migrant income in 2009-10, while 58% reported owning their own business.

Overall, the data had a gendered trend, with the median employee income of skilled males exceeding skilled females for all age groups.  Women were also found to have a considerably lower median income.  In contrast, women reported far more investment income than men.

Further information can be found in Personal Income of Migrants, Experimental, Australia, 2009-10 (cat. no. 3418.0), or visit the ABS website: www.abs.gov.au.

Media Comments: FECCA Office – (02) 6282 5755, media@fecca.org.au.

The Senate Finance and Public Administration References Committee recently released its report on domestic violence in Australia. FECCA made a submission to the inquiry and appeared before a public hearing of the committee to highlight the prevalence and impact of domestic violence in Australia as it affects women from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds.

FECCA welcomes the committee’s recommendation that the Australian Bureau of Statistics, along with Commonwealth, state and territory bodies involved in the development of the Personal Safety Survey consider the concerns raised during the inquiry about the adequacy of sampling sizes of particular subgroups within the community, such as women with a disability, women from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, immigrant and refugee women, and Indigenous communities and endeavour to address these issues prior to the conduct of the next Survey. The committee also recommends that the Commonwealth Government lead and coordinate the work to facilitate data collection pursuant to the National Data Collection and Reporting Framework.

FECCA has highlighted the needs for comprehensive data collection – disaggregated data collection and report is required to understand how CALD women are affected by domestic violence and to develop appropriate response strategies.

The committee also recommends that the Commonwealth Government ensures that the work undertaken by COAG to develop a set of national outcome standards for perpetrator interventions use standards which are robust and sufficiently specific to ensure perpetrators are held accountable for their actions and the standards are demonstrably effective in breaking the cycle of violence. This work should consider the particular needs of ATSI, CALD and LGBTI perpetrators as well as those in regional areas.

Other recommendations include:

• implement domestic violence leave provisions across the private and public sector;
• that the Prime Minister table an annual report to Parliament on progress in the effect to eliminate family violence;
• school based education across all age groups on respectful relationships and responses to domestic and family violence;
• that sufficient resources are available for any increased demand for crisis services following specific campaigns; and
• that the Commonwealth Government take a lead role in the provision of affordable housing solutions in Australia.

FECCA welcomes the publication of the committee’s report and looks forward to the Government’s response to these important recommendations.

Media Comments: FECCA Office – (02) 6282 5755, media@fecca.org.au.