Month: November 2025

Next L4R Meeting

Our meeting takes place next Wednesday 26 March commencing at 6.30pm.

The Minutes of our previous meeting dated 18 February follow MinutesNSW-ACT26Feb25

Ride for Education

We are happy to welcome Muzafar Ali back to our meeting next week, to brief us on his planned marathon bike ride.You may recall that last year at our October meeting, Muzafar, who is the Co-CEO of the Cisarua Learning Centre in Indonesia, was our guest speaker.  He reported on the dire conditions facing refugees in Indonesia.This time, Muzafar will brief us on a journey he plans to make across Australia, to build refugee futures through education.Please join us to welcome Muzafar and find out why this inspirational man plans to go on this ride, what he hopes to do on his way and how he is progressing with his rigorous training in order to make this journey.

Labor for Refugees has made a substantial donation to this worthwhile cause.

 

If you’d like to know how to get involved, see Ride-For-Education Fundraising page

International Affairs Policy Committee – Election policy for migration with Abul Rizvi, former Deputy Secretary of the Department of ImmigrationMembers of Labor for Refugees are invited by the ACT Labor International Affairs Policy Committee, to attend the following Teams call on Thursday 7PM with Dr Abul Rizvi, to review policy this term and the election contest regarding migration policy.  We’re looking to cover the breadth of policy from asylum to international students to skilled migration.

It’s clear a strong migration program and policy progress are of importance to state and federal policy, as the NSW Treasurer and others have well noted in recent months. Abul is someone with unusual insights and experience, and it should be a very informative session.

When: 7pm, Thursday 20 March
Where: Online only – Microsoft Teams at this link.
 

Abul Rizvi is a leading voice on Australian migration policy, with vast experience and deep knowledge of the how the system has evolved and where reform is needed.He is formerly the Deputy Secretary of the Department of Immigration, awarded the Public Service Medal and the Centenary Medal, and in his work there headed skilled migration reform.His expertise and insights are now more relevant than ever, and this session is a great opportunity to hear from him the week before the Budget and Budget-in-reply, and ahead of an election where this policy area will feature.

Discussion will cover all aspects of migration policy and adjacent policy, reviewing developments this term, emerging priorities and platforms to the election.

Palm Sunday Rally and MarchAs we do each year, Labor for Refugees has endorsed the Palm Sunday Rally.  This year, the organisers put out an appeal for funds so Labor for Refugees made a donation towards the cost of the rally.
 

Details of the rally and march are:Sunday April 13 at 2pm Belmore Park (near Central Railway Station). 

The march will proceed up Broadway to Victoria Park where it will disperse.

The themes this year will focus on the following  – 

Educate for PeacePermanent Visas for all refugeesWelcome Refugees – Unity not Racism

Climate Action not AUKUS Nuclear Subs

Speakers: 
Abishek Selvakumar (Tamil Refugee Association);Rev Rod Benson (NSW Ecumenical Council);Ruth Mitchell (International Campaign Against Nuclear Weapons;Sara Haddad (Author);

Natasha Watt (NSW Teachers Federation)

Regards Nizza SianoSecretary L4R NSW email:   contact@labor4refugees.com

16 July 2025

The Minutes of our previous meeting dated 28 May follow MinutesNSW-ACT25Jun25

Urgent meeting sought with the Immigration MinisterWe wrote to Immigration Minister Tony Burke twice last year, in an effort to set up a meeting with him.  It’s important that we meet with the Minister to raise a number of urgent issues. We need to establish the timelines for when the government plans to implement the refugee policies that we fought for and won at the last Labor National Conference in 2023. We also ran a campaign last year, asking ALP branches to help us lobby the government to recognise the skills of refugees and remove some of the barriers that are preventing them from working in jobs where they are sorely needed.One of the important gains L4R made at the conference in 2023, was the government’s agreement to hold an inquiry into Immigration detention.   We are still waiting to learn when this will happen.There are many other problems that need to be addressed.  For example, in March this year, we wrote to the Minister about the need to address the plight of people with disabilities in Immigration Detention. In June we sent a letter to the Assistant Immigration Minister Matt Thistlethwaite about the removal of Work Rights for those non-citizens who have (rightly) sought Ministerial Intervention. We are also very concerned about the refugees trapped in Indonesia who are trying to apply for visas to come to Australia. 

The Afghan refugees who escaped from the Taliban and fled to Iran are now in danger in Iran. Those who made it from Afghanistan to Pakistan are also facing danger because the Pakistani Government wants to deport them.

The list of priorities goes on.  Which is why we believe it is urgent to meet with Tony Burke and why, after the federal election, our L4R National Committee recently met to work out a plan of how we compile a list of issues that need to be raised with the Minister.

Watch this space.

Ride for Education – message from Muzafar 

Our ride is finished. 4,000kms, 46 events and thousands of friends both old and new! Thanks everyone.We have been touched deeply by the outpouring of love, community and connection we have felt over the last 5 weeks. Thousands of people came together to help us on our journey and we feel reconnected, energised and full of hope. We have raised nearly $140,000. More than we have ever raised before!  Our goal is $250,000 for one years education for over 3,000 refugees in Indonesia and Thailand, and women in Afghanistan. YOU CAN HELP!! 

Can you share this short video with any friends and family? 

https://vimeo.com/manage/videos/1096438762 

Or share the websites at 

rideforeducation.com and cisarualearning.com Thank you all. Can’t wait to see you again soon. Thank you for sharing our campaign. Sincerely

Muzafar & Jolyon & everyone at Cisarua Learning

Regards Nizza SianoSecretary L4R NSW email:   contact@labor4refugees.com

Catherine CrittendenNovember 14, 2024Uncategorized

November

L4R newsletter – keeping you informed and up to date on our current issues and challenges.

14 November 2024Dear Member FRINGE EVENT SPECIAL – ASYLUM MATTERS Our usual 27 November monthly meeting will be replaced by a L4R Fringe Event. This will be the last time we meet in 2024.Our Labor for Refugees Fringe Event was meant to take place at the NSW Labor Conference earlier this year.  However, the Fringe Events were cancelled by NSW Labor with a promise that they would take place at a later time.  Our Fringe Event is now being held online at 6.30pm on Wednesday 27 November 2024.  We are very lucky that the same guests invited to our original Fringe Event, are still available. They are:Dr Graham Thom, international refugee specialistFrances Rush OAM, Asylum Seekers Centre CEOThouraya Lahmadi, refugee and writerIn this session, our guests will unpack the trends, insights, and experiences that must shape refugee policy in Australia. From exploring the High Court’s ruling on immigration detention to highlighting the stark reality for a person seeking safety without a safety net, this session will highlight what we must do in order to provide protection for those who need it. The link to the leaflet follows L4RFringeEvent27Nov25  Please rsvp by clicking the following link and complete the form https://6b2swhmjz0t.typeform.com/to/xiSs6QXO The Zoom link to our event will be sent to you prior to 27 November.  I hope to see you at our Fringe Event on the 27 November.RegardsNizza SianoSecretary L4R NSW email:  contact@labor4refugees.com

| forward to a friend |Copyright © 2024 Labor for Refugees (NSW), All rights reserved.You are receiving this email because you indicated you wished to be active in L4R.  Our mailing address is:Labor for Refugees (NSW)Bellevue HillSydney, NSW 2023Australia Add us to your address book unsubscribe from this list | update subscription preferences

Our usual 27 November monthly meeting will be replaced by a L4R Fringe Event.
This will be the last time we meet in 2024.Our Labor for Refugees Fringe Event was meant to take place at the NSW Labor Conference earlier this year.  However, the Fringe Events were cancelled by NSW Labor with a promise that they would take place at a later time.
 
Our Fringe Event is now being held online at 6.30pm on Wednesday 27 November 2024.

We are very lucky that the same guests invited to our original Fringe Event, are still available.

They are:

• Dr Graham Thom, international refugee specialist
• Frances Rush OAM, Asylum Seekers Centre CEO
• Thouraya Lahmadi, refugee and writer

In this session, our guests will unpack the trends, insights, and experiences that must shape refugee policy in Australia.From exploring the High Court’s ruling on immigration detention to highlighting the stark reality for a person seeking safety without a safety net, this session will highlight what we must do in order to provide protection for those who need it.

The link to the leaflet follows 

L4RFringeEvent27Nov25
 

Please rsvp by clicking the following link and complete the form https://6b2swhmjz0t.typeform.com/to/xiSs6QXO 

The Zoom link to our event will be sent to you prior to 27 November.

I hope to see you at our Fringe Event on the 27 November.

Regards Nizza SianoSecretary L4R NSW email:   contact@labor4refugees.com