Our purpose
To drive change in Australian government policy regarding asylum seekers, advocating for a compassionate reception, fair assessment of refugee status, proper care, safety, support, and when suitable, a path to permanent residency.
Our goals
We strive for a fair, compassionate and inclusive approach to refugee policy that encompasses the following key principles.
End mandatory detention
We call for the end of mandatory detention for people seeking asylum, both onshore and offshore.
Permanent protection
We support the rights of asylum seekers to have access to a fair and timely refugee determination process with funded legal support and, where appropriate, to obtain permanent protection.
Comprehensive support
We demand appropriate social support, work rights, education rights and access to Medicare for all refugees, individuals seeking asylum, and their families and to live freely in the community while engaging in the refugee determination process.
Family reunification
We work towards policies that assist refugees in reuniting with their families, recognising the importance of keeping families together.
Our immediate objectives
While we acknowledge the progress made in government policy since 2022, we continue to advocate urgently for the following:
> Fair and Timely Refugee Determination Process We call for the establishment of appropriate processes to fairly assess the claims of approximately 10,000 people still seeking protection including progression of proposed reforms to the administrative review regime and abolition of the Fast Track process.
> Family Reunion Prioritization We strongly advocate for the prioritization of family reunion applications for refugees granted permanent protection.
> Evacuation of Asylum Seekers in PNG We advocate for a just resolution for those individuals seeking asylum and urgent transfer to Australia of those who are seriously ill.
> Comprehensive Support We seek urgent provision of an adequate and dignified level of economic, social, health, and educational support for all refugees, individuals seeking asylum, their children, and those who arrived as children.
> Release from Detention We advocate for the continued release of those seeking asylum from locked and community detention in Australia and Nauru.
Our long-term objectives
Looking ahead, we aim for lasting change by advocating for the following:
> Abolition of Mandatory Detention
We seek the abolition of mandatory detention for all asylum seekers, regardless of their mode of arrival.
> Human Rights Act We support the establishment of a federal Human Rights Act that recognizes Australia's international obligations.
> Regional Processing and Elimination of Offshore Detention We work towards the implementation of an effective regional processing program, including resettlement for those in Indonesia, and the elimination of the practice of offshore detention.
> In support of these objectives GFR will continue to:
• Write to and seek to meet relevant Ministers, other government members and MPs.
• Take action to inform local communities of the continued suffering of those refugees and their families subjected to unfair and cruel treatment since 2013.
Around the networks
We maintain informal connections with a wide range of like-minded organisations through individual memberships and local relationships.
We have active working relationships with:
Rural Australians for Refugees (RAR)
Refugee Legal
Brigidine Asylum Seekers Project
Asylum Seeker Resource Centre (ASRC)
Refugee Council of Australia (RCOA)
Refugee Action Collective (RAC) Victoria
Labor for Refugees
Formal memberships include:
Australian Refugee Action Network (ARAN)