Voices for freedom

Experience our unique perspectives, support our advocacy and celebrate our voices!

We are people from refugee backgrounds advocating for human rights and respect for multicultural communities, including people seeking asylum.

Our voices are powerful and important because of our unique lived experience and personal connection to challenges and achievements that come with seeking asylum and building life as new Australians.

Voices for Freedom is a digital space for our articles, photography, art and videos on topics of our choice.

    • 01 APR 19
    Why do they have to wait for years?

    Why do they have to wait for years?

    Imagine being locked up against your will for more than five years. How would you feel? This is the reality for refugees on Manus Island right now. I am a former refugee who spent 16 weeks in Curtin Immigration Detention Centre during the Howard era. The centre was horrible, barbaric, cruel and worse than prison.

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    • 14 MAR 19
    45 Days on Christmas Island

    45 Days on Christmas Island

    I was detained on Christmas Island in 2010 for 45 days. I came from Pakistan where I lived most of my life after my family and I fled civil war in Afghanistan. As a young Hazara man, I was then persecuted by state-funded terrorist groups and a religious portion of the community. My political views

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    • 05 MAR 19
    Abdul Aziz statement to the UN on Australia’s cruel offshore processing

    Abdul Aziz statement to the UN on Australia’s cruel offshore processing

    United Nations Human Rights Council, 40th session, February, March 2019 Oral statement by the Human Rights Law Centre Item 3, Interactive Dialogue with the Special Rapporteurs on Torture and Human Rights Defenders   Mr. President,   My name is Abdul Aziz. I would like to invite you all to think about your life over the

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    • 28 FEB 19
    The Australia I have come to love

    The Australia I have come to love

    Kindness is ingrained among Australian people. A quality that’s sorely missed in its national policy, writes Brisbane based advocate Kagi Kowa. As a young woman fleeing prosecution, seeking safety in a new country was the only option I had. My cultural background is tribal indigenous African from the Nuba Mountains, we are the Indigenous people of

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    • 12 FEB 19
    We wait for 2-5  years for urgent medical treatment

    We wait for 2-5 years for urgent medical treatment

    I am Aziz Abdul Adam and I have been indefinitely detained on Manus Island for six years. Thank you for taking action to get kids and their families off Nauru for urgent medical treatment. I am so happy they are safe in Australia now. I have seen 12 of my brothers lose their lives from

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    • 09 NOV 18
    Nothing about us, without us!

    Nothing about us, without us!

    As nine people finished Sydney’s Advocacy and Power Program (APP), six presented their journey’s of seeking asylum and building their live as new Australians at a special evening on Tuesday night.   “I want to tell you the story of why I’m here.” The evening kicked off with a story shared by two people fleeing

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Renovations at ASRC and Changes to Services

What is happening? 

The ASRC is renovating our centre and our main entrance will be closed from Monday 6 May to Wednesday 26 June.  

How to access the centre? 

There will be a new entrance through the Innovation Hub door on Nicholson Street. 

What is changing?

The ASRC will need to make some changes during this time:

  • Unable to serve hot meals at lunch time from Monday 6 May to Wednesday 26 June. 
  • Frozen meals may be available for you and your family to take home.
  • The Centre will be closed at lunch time from 12.45 PM to 1.30 PM
  • Legal assistance is by phone only, unless you have an appointment confirmed in writing. If you are seeking legal advice, please call 03 9274 9889 between 10am and 12.30pm, weekdays except Wednesday

There may be longer waiting times for our drop in services. If you do not need to come to the centre, please delay your visit for as long as you can or call us on 03 9326 6066

Information on opening hours for all ASRC services and other services can be found on our ‘Get Help’ pages at https://asrc.org.au/get-help/

What is staying the same?

  • Foodbank 
  • The Health Clinic 
  • Women's Empowerment, Education and Employment Services
  • Access to existing on-site appointments with our legal team  

Where else can you go for support? 

If we cannot help you on the day, or if you do not wish to wait, more information about other services can be found on our ‘Get Help’ pages at  https://asrc.org.au/get-help/

If you have an emergency, please call 000 - People seeking asylum will not be charged for ambulance services. 

If you or someone you know is experiencing distress and requires crisis support, please call Lifeline  on  13 11 14 or text Lifeline on 0477 131 114

If you are seeking support about domestic or sexual violence, please contact 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732

If you are homeless, or at risk of homelessness, call 1800 825 955

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