Refugee Connect is a registered charity set up as a Christian based refugee relief centre.
We help refugees and people seeking asylum who are in Brisbane to settle in and integrate with the wider community.
Working with a team of 38 volunteers, since 2008 Ken and Ros have helped 316 refugees and currently Refugee Connect is working with 87 families including 176 women and children.
We provide a range of English, computer and first aid classes; in home
tutoring for the kids and budgeting and English support for the parents; we help them navigate various government and non-government agencies; Counselling, Student financial assistance and Ros even supports the ladies in the Birthing ward. This is all done in a friendly community environment.
At Refugee Connect we believe that every person should experience love and acceptance, regardless of their ethnic background. This is important because there are people living in our community who, because of their ethnic background, are not experiencing this love and acceptance.
If refugee families aren’t supported they disengage and find themselves in distress. We’ve found that this regularly starts about 8 – 10 months after they arrive and depending upon their circumstances, it can be more than 5 years before they begin to look at life clearly again. We have found that those who have more connections with different parts of the community contribute more positively into society.
Having fled war and persecution they need care and compassion to help them heal.
At Refugee Connect we believe that every person needs to know and
experience love, compassion and acceptance, regardless of their ethnic
background; that all people deserve to live in peace. That’s why we
strive to treat others the way we’d want to be treated and seek to be
good neighbours to others in time of need. If any one of us feared for
our life or for the lives of our family we’d like to know that others –
even complete strangers – would help us to safety, not turn us back into harm. Too often, whole families escape war and survive treacherous journeys, only to be denied any rights in a community where they ought to be safe. Across our globe, people are confronting unimaginable horrors and risking everything in the hope of reaching safety.
Australia must create a fair and efficient asylum process so we can show that, when people are in harm’s way, we’ll do the right thing to determine who requires safe haven. By considering each person’s case with dignity and respect, we’ll set an example so that lucky countries like ours can follow our lead and treat fellow human beings with compassion and care.
We cannot allow any abuse against people in detention centres. Nor can we turn an issue of human rights into political bickering. This is not a matter of political left or right, but quite simply a matter of right and wrong.
To make sure everyone can flourish, we need to fairly examine each person’s asylum case in a safe place and the people who require safety must be quickly integrated into our communities so these people can get on with rebuilding their lives.
We have adopted this statement that sets out our position about people seeking asylum in Australia having considered research conducted by the Asylum Seeker Research Centre in 2015.
You can hear some radio interviews with Ken on our Media page.
Refugee Connect Ltd was first registered a public company limited by guarantee in April 2000 as Helping Hands International Australia Ltd. This vision of Ros and Ken Myers was rebranded as Refugee Connect Ltd in November 2015.
Refugee Connect appreciates all of your donations, large and small, whether a single donation or a regular commitment.
With Shopnate, your normal online shopping can support us, without costing you more!
Mobile: 0421 076 306
Email: admin1@refugeeconnect.org.au
Facebook: www.facebook.com/refugeeconnect
Refugee Connect is not equipped to provide legal or immigration services. Please contact one of the following if you need legal assistance in SE Queensland.
indooroopillyuc.org.au
Contact: Malcolm Dunning
Email: malcolmd@exemail.com.au or iucasylum@gmail.com
Available: Thursday & Saturday mornings
Address: 74 Station Road, Indooroopilly QLD 4068
Ph: (07) 3878 9535
romero.mercycs.org.au
Address: 20 Dutton Street, Dutton Park QLD 4102
Ph: (07) 3013 0100
brassnetwork.org – Lists key organisations in Brisbane with contact details
