March 2003
								

The Hon. Bob Carr
NSW Premier
Parliament House
Macquarie St
Sydney 2000

Dear Premier

I write as a concerned citizen of New South Wales about access to services for 
people on a Temporary Protection Visa (TPV).  

Although I am well aware that refugee policy is a Federal responsibility, the 
financial and social costs of this policy are being primarily bourn by the 
states, in particular by NSW where an estimated 4,000 TPV holders currently 
reside, half of all TPV holders in the Country.  The Federal Government’s TPV 
policy is creating a massive social problem - a social under-class of 
disenfranchised, marginalised people, whose social dislocation will impinge 
on the communities in which they live.

As you are aware, in October 1999, the Commonwealth Government introduced 
temporary protection visas (TPV) for all “unauthorised arrivals” 
(Visa Subclass 785) who were successful in their applications for refugee 
status thus creating two classes of refugees, with very different entitlements.

Refugees with permanent protection visas (PPV) are entitled to a suite of 
specialist settlement support from Commonwealth funded service providers and 
are eligible for all the benefits and entitlements that accrue to permanent 
residents.  

Unlike refugees with a permanent protection visa, TPV holders are not:
·	eligible for free English tuition;
·	allowed to bring their families into Australia;
·	allowed to return to Australia if they leave;
·	eligible for settlement services such as orientation, accommodation, 
	assistance from Migrant Resource Centres;
·	eligible for HECS.  TPV holders must pay full up-front, overseas 
	student fees for tertiary education;
·	eligible to access the mainstream social welfare system to obtain 
	pensions and Newstart allowance.

As community organisations funded by the Commonwealth have been instructed by 
the Department of Immigration Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs not to 
supply services to TPV entrants, these services usually refer requests for 
assistance from TPV entrants to relevant State Government services and other 
community agencies. 

There is significant research to support the negative impact of poor access 
to services including:
·	poor physical and mental health;
·	social isolation; and
·	reduced ability to integrate into the community and ability 
	to access employment, due to lack of English language services.

These difficulties are compounded by the temporary and uncertain nature of 
their protection within Australia and their isolation from family members.  

The Queensland Government has extended equal access to state funded services 
to people living on a TPV as those living on a PPV.  TPV holders in 
Queensland can access:
·	English language tuition through TAFE Colleges;
·	all  full-fee vocational courses, subject to availability;
·	rental bond loans;
·	public housing; 
·	a 38 bed boarding house which has been provided for on-arrival 
	accommodation;
·	continued support to access the private rental market;
·	state schools for their children at no cost; and
·	English as a Second Language tuition for children in school.

The decision to extend these state services to TPV holders was taken to 
improve TPV entrants ability to become self-supporting and to avoid division 
and unfair treatment in comparison to other refugees.  To ease the burden on 
community-based services, the Queensland Government also funds a coordinator 
in the community to assist in providing services to TPV entrants.  I 
understand that the South Australian Government has taken steps similar to 
those taken by the Queensland Government to assist TPV holders settle into 
the community.

In the interests of building social cohesion and tolerance in our multi-
cultural communities, I implore you to take a leadership role, in the name 
of fairness and good government, on the issue of access to services for all 
people living on a TPV in NSW.  I look forward to your reply.

Yours sincerely,