Help Shave the Day

I am shaving my head and hoping you will pay to see me do it!

The Department of Immigration have changed their processes for the worse, and RACS need urgent help to support their legal response. Desperate people seeking asylum need your help now so please help let them speak.

I am planning on doing this to raise money for the Refugee Advice and Casework Service (RACS) to help with their urgent appeal for funds to cover legal costs for asylum seekers to get probono lawyers for their protection claims.

RACS is the only specialist legal centre in NSW providing free legal assistance to people seeking asylum subject to the Department of Immigration and Border Protection’s Fast Track process.

For the past year asylum seekers unable to afford legal representation have been able to register with RACS for free legal assistance and have been placed on waiting lists that are up to 1 year long. This was previously accepted by the Government but has now changed. Now, this accepted wait list is being disregarded and people are being informed they must apply sooner regardless of capacity to pay for legal help. They risk cancelation of their bridging visas, loss of financial support and permanent denial of their right to claim protection if they don't apply within the new tight deadlines.

1800 people have been waiting for RACS’ help for up to a year. The wait is so exceptionally long because RACS are not funded.These people were promised legal assistance, and have been waiting patiently, but now the clock is ticking.

The funds raised will go towards funding two lawyers and to cover interpreting costs to urgently help 1800 people seeking asylum.

Applying for protection is a complex and confusing process, and the application forms are only available in English. Without expert legal help and the assistance of an interpreter, the reality is that this process is impossible for many.

$60 supports a person seeking asylum with an hour of legal assistance. Every dollar helps. For people seeking asylum, RACS is the difference between staying and going back to the threats they had to flee from.