Toowoomba refugee service needs $180k funding renewal by Federal Government to support migrants with English skills, mental health

Hundreds of refugees living in Toowoomba will face less access to vital services if funding is not renewed, according to one of the city’s leading support organisations.

Dakhil Alazeez and Amshe Bakr talk about their experience of being new immigrants in Toowoomba. Picture: Kevin Farmer

Dakhil Alazeez, his wife Amshe Bakr and their six children know they are safe in Toowoomba, after witnessing the genocide of their people by ISIS.

But the Yazidi family, who were among the hundreds of refugees to arrive from Iraq and Syria four years ago, faces less support to help them integrate unless the Federal Government renews vital funding for one of the city’s top services.

“We have to depend on the support from other people like TRAMS and Multicultural Australia,” Alazeez said with the help of a translator.

“Absolutely we feel safer than in Iraq, (but) just because we are safe, it doesn’t mean we are okay.”

CatholicCare’s Toowoomba Refugee and Migrant Service (TRAMS), which supports the family in a range of ways, could lose two full-time case workers at the end of month if the Department of Home Affairs chooses not to extend a mere $180,000 in funding.

Concerned about cuts to TRAMS funding are (from left) Dakhil Alazeez, TRAMS settlement officer Akol Liai, CatholicCare CEO Kate Venables and Amshe Bakr. Picture: Kevin Farmer

CEO Kate Venables said while the organisation was already forced to operate outside recommended client-to-worker ratios, the figures would blow out if no action was taken.

“What it means is in settlement work, a one-to-150 people ratio is best practice,” she said.

“Right now our guys do one-to-439, but it will ratchet up to one-to-870 people.

“We’ve always been tight, our guys work hard, but that expected ratio is unworkable.

“The money is $180,000 per annum, so it’s the most extraordinary bang-for-buck.”

Mr Alazeez said the Yazidi community was still suffering severe mental health issues as a result of the atrocities they were subjected to, making health access a priority.

But he said language barriers made it impossible for him to use his skills as a mechanic and contribute more to the Toowoomba community.

“What’s impacting us is we have mental health issues that relate to what we have gone through,” he said.

“We have those issues and we don’t have English, and we need support so we can learn the language.

“Because of language barriers and cultural barriers, it stops a lot of things we were dreaming to achieve.

“I’m a mechanic, I know how to fix cars, but I don’t have the language skills, so I can’t work.”

Between TRAMS and Multicultural Australia, Toowoomba’s social services support more than 2100 refugees and migrants.

A department spokesman said it had met with both organisations to discuss ongoing funding arrangements.

“TRAMS will receive SETS funding of $0.930 million across the current grant period of January 2019 to June 2022,” they said.

“The SETS funding allocation across the current grant period is fully exhausted.

“There is no future funding available under the Mutual Understanding, Support, Tolerance, Engagement and Respect (MUSTER) program.

“As part of the Government’s broader package of measures to support women’s safety, $26.1 million is available for SETS program providers over the next three years to keep refugee and migrant women safe and provide them with greater access to opportunities in their community and the Australian workforce.”