To the Prime Minister,

A humanitarian crisis of hunger and homelessness is happening in Australia under your watch.

The Government is cutting off life-saving Status Resolution Support Services (SRSS) for 8,000 people including 3,816 children seeking asylum.

This is an entirely preventable crisis, Prime Minister and it has been brought about by a 60% cut over two years in the budget causing hunger, deteriorating health and homelessness for the most vulnerable people in our community, including families with children.

This, when the rate of destitution facing people seeking asylum in Australia is greater than it has ever been.

These services give people seeking asylum access to torture and trauma services, subsidised medication, casework and a small amount of income support to cover rent and food (89% of Newstart allowance – just $35 a day).

Prime Minister, you are excluding thousands of very vulnerable people from secure housing, health care and the capacity to gain employment with a safety-net.

You have another choice – to not make already vulnerable people destitute.

We ask you, Prime Minister – how is someone meant to survive?

This is heartless and unnecessary and putting already stretched resources of community organisations at breaking point. More people with increasingly complex and urgent needs are arriving at our doorstep daily.

Cutting SRSS to make vulnerable people destitute is not what compassionate Australian voters want.

We ask you Prime Minister to take a stand and make the right choice – stop cutting families off support and restore the safety net of SRSS to all people seeking asylum within the first 100 days of a new Government.

No food. No home. No medical care. This is the reality many people seeking asylum in Australia are facing as the Government continues to cut off life-saving support services. It’s a humanitarian crisis that is unfolding on our own shores.

For many people seeking asylum the ASRC is the only place they can seek shelter, medication and a hot meal. But demand on our services has increased beyond our capacity and we need your help now, more than ever before!

The ASRC is funded by a community of donors and we can’t support people seeking asylum without you! Please donate to the ASRC Winter Appeal today and be the difference for people seeking asylum.

Donate now to help people seeking asylum

The Asylum Seeker Resource Centre (ASRC) recognises the importance of protecting the privacy and the rights of individuals in relation to their personal or sensitive information. Our privacy policy and full collection statement is available online at asrc.org.au/privacy