One organisation supports asylum seekers and the other supports victims of family and domestic violence.
And now, the Footscray based Asylum Seeker Resource Centre (ASRC) and the statewide Safe Steps Family Violence Response Centre, have collaborated to support multicultural communities impacted by family and domestic violence.
Jointly funded by the federal and state governments, the Working Together project aims to increase awareness among migrant and refugee communities of the family and domestic violence support that is available.
Deputy director of humanitarian pperations at ASRC, Tia Di Biase said people from migrant and refugee communities, including those in Footscray and the western suburbs, often struggled to access crisis support services and those that did often found them not culturally appropriate.
“This project addresses that gap by combining Safe Steps’ expertise in family and domestic violence services and ASRC’s experience working with people from refugee and asylum-seeking backgrounds,” said Ms Di Biase who added that language and cultural barriers and issues like visa insecurity meant family and domestic violence in these communities was widely under-reported.
“As such, the true number of people affected is likely to be far higher than available data suggests, making this project both timely and essential.”
Safe Steps director of business growth Suzanne Paynter said even when cases were reported, dealing with domestic and family violence in migrant and refugee communities was especially complex.
“Perpetrators often exploit immigration status to control victims, especially those on temporary visas, while financial and social dependence increases vulnerability.
“Refugees and migrants also face unique challenges such as traumatic pre-arrival experiences and the stresses of resettlement, which can exacerbate family violence and hinder help-seeking.”
Ms Paynter said while the partnership would help frontline staff from both organisations to deal with these situations, the ultimate beneficiaries would be the communities themselves.
“Most importantly, it will benefit members of culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities who seek our services, ensuring they receive tailored help that respects their unique experiences and needs,” Ms Paynter said.
The two year Working Together project is underway now.
Contact Safe Steps at: https://safesteps.org.au/about-us/
Contact the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre at: https://asrc.org.au/
