Decade of Disgrace

Letter to the Editor - Canterbury-Bankstown Express
22 November 2006

Dear Sir/Madam,

The Canterbury-Bankstown Express (Decade of Disgrace, 7/11/06) makes several errors explaining the assistance refugees to Australia are given, especially in regard to housing under the Integrated Humanitarian Settlement Strategy (IHSS).

The IHSS provides intensive settlement assistance to refugees and humanitarian entrants for between six and 12 months, NOT – as you reported – one to three months. While the IHSS is designed with refugee and humanitarian entrants in mind, special humanitarian program entrants, who are sponsored by a proposer, can be eligible for support under the scheme if the proposer is assessed as not being able to meet all their needs.

The IHSS assists humanitarian entrants to view properties, understand rental leases and their rights and responsibilities as tenants.

In the Canterbury-Bankstown area, the IHSS provider works closely with real estate agents and recently sent introductory letters to agents inviting them to meet and further explain the programme and housing issues faced when resettling newly arrived entrants.

To suggest refugee and humanitarian entrants are left in the lurch by the department is simply wrong. It is disappointing when a local newspaper which plays such an important role informing local communities gets it wrong because it fails to check its facts.

Yours sincerely

Sandi Logan
National Communications Manager
Department of Immigration and Multicultural Affairs