New research has quantified the devastating mental health impacts of temporary visas – something all too familiar for Iraqi-born Ferah* who, despite the challenges, has shown incredible strength and resilience in carving out a life for her and her children in Australia.
(more…)When his car broke down in remote Western Australia in April, Ivan Kelly found himself stranded thousands of kilometres from home without any phone reception. Instinctively, Ivan reached out to his SSI Local Area Coordinator, Melissa.
Departing from a shooting competition in Perth, Ivan had taken a scenic route on his way home to NSW’s Wollondilly Shire when his car broke down near the Warakurna Roadhouse, close to the Northern Territory border and nearly 800km away from Alice Springs.
The vast journey had not been daunting for Ivan, who has Inclusion Body Myositis (IBM), as he had spent most of his life as an interstate truck driver before his condition made it too difficult to climb the stairs of his truck.
“Normally, this wouldn’t have been a problem, but I couldn’t get a lift with the tow truck because of my condition, and getting transport out of there was going to be a major challenge,” he said.
Having to rely on the Roadhouse’s satellite phone, Ivan contacted his wife and his SSI Local Area Coordinator, Melissa, whom he had met just one month prior.
“It was a relief to be able to talk to someone who understood my condition,” Ivan said. “The only fear I had out there was how I was going to get home.”
Ivan is a participant of SSI’s Local Area Coordination program, a program that helps participants navigate the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) with confidence. As an LAC, Melissa works with participants, like Ivan, to create, implement, and review their NDIS plans.
Melissa and Ivan had talked about this road trip during their first planning meeting in March.
“Our focus was activating Ivan’s NDIS services when he returned from this trip. We never expected anything like this was going to happen,” Melissa said.
When Ivan called Melissa from the Warakurna Roadhouse, Ivan acknowledged that his vehicles repairs were not related to his disability support, however he wanted to arrange support worker assistance as he needed to get to Alice Springs where his vehicle was being towed to.
“I didn’t know much about the NDIS, so it was a case of contacting Melissa to see if they had any ways of getting me out because I couldn’t hitchhike or get in or out of a normal vehicle,” Ivan said.
Melissa swiftly searched for available supports.
“I was really concerned for Ivan and his wellbeing. Unfortunately, there were no support workers available due to the remote location, and the doctor and nurse were only there on certain days and times,” Melissa said.
Whilst Melissa was unable to connect Ivan with any immediate disability support options, she remained committed to helping Ivan nevertheless. The goal was to ensure that Ivan not just reached his car, but also safely made it all the way back home to Sydney.
Melissa went beyond contacting the aerodrome and Royal Flying Doctor’s Service, actively engaging with online Facebook groups and community boards in Warakurna, Alice Springs, and Yulara. She posted requests for assistance, seeking transport options for a stranded person with limited mobility.
“I got a reply from the company transporting the participants vehicle, Outback Recovery Service and they spread the word about him needing transport,” Melissa said.
Within a few hours, Melissa had helped coordinate for Ivan to comfortably be transported the 337 kilometres from Warakurna to Connellan Airport by a local Warakurna community member. With his car organised to be returned home from Alice Springs, Ivan boarded a flight and arrived safely back in Sydney.
“The support from the Roadhouse manager, the local community, and Melissa was incredible. Everyone there looked after me and made sure I was okay,” he said.
“It was a relief to be able to talk with my wife and Melissa while I was stranded out there. It took a lot of the stress out for me and my wife.”
Melissa’s relentless efforts to ensure Ivan’s safe return exemplify the core values of support and care that define the SSI Local Area Coordination program.
“I really wanted him to know that he wasn’t in this situation by himself, and that I was taking steps in the background to try and assist him as much as possible,” Melissa said.
“If the Warakurna member wasn’t available to drive Ivan, we would have kept going until we found another solution.”
SSI is partnered with the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) to deliver LAC services in NSW. As an LAC provider, SSI supports people aged 7 – 64 to access the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) and other mainstream services in the community. For more information and to find out if you’re eligible for NDIS support visit the Local Area Coordination section of our website.
First Nations’ communities are incredible advocates and thought leaders, grounded in an ancient wisdom and deep connection to ancestry, land and sea.
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Now a successful business owner, Mohsen’s story has a happy ending, and on World Refugee Day, he joined with SSI, our partners and other people with lived experience to call for the implementation of five barrier-breaking solutions that would ease the way for newcomers like Mohsen can realise their full potential.
At our World Refugee Day Fair on June 20, we hosted parliamentarians, employers and community partners on the lawns of Parliament House in Canberra to launch of the Billion Dollar Benefit report: a roadmap for unleashing the economic potential of refugees and migrants.
We were pleased so many friends and partners were present to formally accept the report, which SSI produced in partnership with the Settlement Council of Australia, the Federation of Ethnic Communities Councils, and Community Corporate. You can see some of our highlights from this special day here.
The Billion Dollar Benefit report draws on consultation with 50 experts and people with lived experience, which identified five priority solutions to unleash the potential of migrants and refugees. These include:
- We must fix the broken skills and qualifications recognition system. Australia’s current system is complex, time-consuming and bureaucratic.
- We need to strengthen protections for migrant workers. No single person should control both your passport and your paycheck – it’s a recipe for exploitation.
- We must review the right to work for people on temporary visas. Denying work rights can increase reliance on social welfare and leave individuals vulnerable to exploitation.
- We need to scale innovative ‘tripartite’ partnerships. Investing in partnerships among the public, private and NGO sectors would provide wrap-around employment solutions for newcomers to Australia.
- We must reform English language requirements. English language requirements must be fit-for-purpose and aligned with the role and industry.
These actions would provide sustainable employment pathways for newcomers to Australia. They would also plug critical skills gaps and add billions to our economy.
After arriving in a new country, gaining work is one of the most effective ways newcomers can rebuild their lives. However, refugees and migrants face significant hurdles to finding meaningful employment and are at greater risk of exploitation.
Breaking down barriers for our newcomers is a responsibility shared by employers, non-government organisations, unions, refugee-led organisations, and all levels of government.
It was heartening to see representation from across these sectors, with a strong appetite for change.
How you can help
You can show your support by endorsing this roadmap by sharing the findings on social media, other communications channels or having a conversation with people around you.
If your organisation would like to endorse the report, please send your organisation’s logo to Dane Moores, SSI’s Head of Strategic Relations, at dmoores@ssi.org.au.
We thank everyone who has supported our efforts so far and we look forward to welcoming more organisations and individuals into this community committed to build better futures for Australia’s refugees and migrants.
Together, we can ensure that newcomers have equal opportunity for meaningful economic participation and the chance to realise their full potential in their new homes.
When Mohsen Shahsavarzdeh finally arrived in Australia after three year’s detention on Christmas Island, his first priority was to get a job – any job.
(more…)After initially living in neighbouring Iraq, Ms Razzouk arrived in Australia in April 2022 on a humanitarian visa. But with no professional network, a lack of understanding of the Australian job market, and no local driver’s licence, she needed support to get back on her feet and rebuild her career in a new country. And she could not wait!
“From the moment I arrived in Australia, I wanted to start applying for jobs. I really didn’t want to wait any longer because I spent four years in Iraq due to the pandemic lockdowns. I spent a lot of time waiting so when I arrived in Australia, I felt the wait was finally over.”
Support and encouragement from her dedicated Refugee Employment Support Program (RESP) Employment Facilitator provided Ms Razzouk with pathways to explore employment goals, improve her resume and interview skills, attain a driver’s licence, and explore short-term goals that would lead to greater employability skills.
“I was in touch with my facilitator every day asking what else I can do to learn new skills or enrol in courses. As a newcomer in Australia, I had so many questions and need a lot of information.”
At the start of the job hunt, she found the Australian accent particularly challenging despite having studied English for years.
“I already knew how to express myself and engage with new people in English but during my first months, the Australian accent was a challenge. In job interviews, I would struggle to understand the interviewer as they would speak quickly, and I’d have to ask them to speak slower or repeat their questions. But day by day I got better and improved my language skills.”
With SSI’s support, Ms Razzouk was referred to various job opportunities, and within six months of arriving in Australia, she was offered a part-time job with IKEA working in their member and customer relations team.
“As my first local work experience, it was the first for me for everything – my first office, first team, and first manager in Australia. This experience taught me so much about the Australian workplace, and I felt supported from the start. The team trained me and arranged every small detail to help me deliver my best performance. Everything was well organised, and I never felt scared or embarrassed if I didn’t know something. This surprised me a little.”
Following her first positive entry to the Australian workplace, Ms Razzouk landed a full-time position with the organisation that supported her from the start, SSI. As an intake administrator in SSI’s RESP team, she now helps others achieve their career goals in their new home country. She is also planning to enrol in a course to study community services to deepen her skills in the sector and continue achieving her big career goals.
“I plan to keep building on my skills in management and administration so I can reach higher, year after year. In 1-2 years, I plan to be a supervisor and in 3-5 years, a team leader,” she said.
“When it comes to my long-term goals, I could manage my own business, or even build a big training centre. Or I could have a political job or stay in the community sector. These are all different fields I could explore because of my qualifications, skills and the flexible personality and strength I have.”
Ms Razzouk’s confidence and passion are immediately evident to anyone who meets this future leader. When reflecting on this part of her character, she acknowledges her confidence is a key ingredient that’s helped her achieve a lot she can be proud of today.
“The first reason for my confidence is my family who are in Syria but support me every day. Being in Australia is a personal win for me. I’m proud I was able to move on, face all the challenges I faced for all those years, and end up here,” she said.
“When you live in limbo for years, and then life gives you an opportunity to realise your dreams and rebuild your life in a safe country – you will get this confidence! Because life is giving a new opportunity to rebuild the life that you want. This is the source of my confidence.”
With more than six years practising dentistry in a clinic, and seven years lecturing at a dental faculty, Sadia was hopeful she would have the opportunity to continue her career in Australia. But she has faced a maze of barriers to achieving her goal.
Sadia undertook the complex and expensive process of having her overseas qualifications recognised with the guidance and support of SSI’s Refugee Employment Support Program (RESP). Her efforts came to a standstill after she was unable to attain one of the government documents from her country of origin, which is required to sit the Australian Dental Council (ADC) exam.
In the meantime, Sadia searched for employment in dental clinics across Sydney so she could earn a living and maintain a connection to her career.
“I applied for dental assistant jobs in the meantime but was declined because I did not have Australian experience,” Sadia said.
To resolve this, Sadia asked to sit in at a local clinic two days a week as a volunteer ‘observer’ while she completed her English language course at TAFE.
After several months of hard work and frustration, Sadia’s situation took a positive turn. In December 2022, she was offered a part-time role at Auburn Road Dental Surgery, and with the support of RESP, she was able to track down alternative documentation to sit her dental exam.
Sadia is now juggling working at the clinic two days a week while caring for her two young children and working towards refining her professional English language skills.
She plans to sit her ADC exam in early 2024 and is determined to be able to utilise her years of experience and expertise in Australia.
Refugee women have been shown to have the same or higher participation in higher education as Australian-born women, and more than a fifth of refugees work in the healthcare sector.
By removing the additional barriers professionals like Sadia have in utilising their skills in their new homes, Australia can unlock a skilled workforce that will positively contribute to our economy and society.
“I have dedicated almost 20 years of my life to my profession – I cannot leave it behind. I dream of working again as a dentist, but it’s incredibly difficult,” Sadia said.
Before being compelled to leave his homeland in search of asylum, Iranian-born Mohsen had successfully attained a Bachelor’s degree in biomedical engineering, specialising in prosthetics and orthodontics. Throughout his studies, he worked in the banking sector, an experience that unexpectedly sparked his interest in finance.
Despite his education in the medical field and experience in finance, Mohsen faced challenges in securing employment in either sector.
“I applied for so many jobs all over Sydney, but no one would give me a chance,” he said.
Mohsen still has all 37 employment rejection letters sitting in his email inbox. He looks at them from time to time for motivation.
“I faced a disheartening pattern of consistent rejection, with doors being slammed shut in my face despite all efforts,” he reflected.
Mohsen’s limited proficiency in English proved to be a major challenge in obtaining work. Due to being on a temporary bridging visa, he couldn’t initially access English courses. But he remained determined in his conviction, that ‘no one can stop [him] from learning’.
Mohsen, set to overcome his obstacles, employed resourceful methods to continue his learning. He enrolled to study at the Sydney Bible College and tried to follow along in English. He also made the most out of YouTube to enhance his skills.
Mohsen’s language proficiency not only affected his job prospects but also his confidence.
“It’s easy for people to understand that language barriers are hard, but they don’t understand how it feels to experience it… My confidence plunged to its lowest depths,” he said.
“When you only know a mere ten words of English, anxiety takes hold, leaving you unable to recall even those few words during job interviews,” Mohsen recalled.
Upon obtaining the permissions through his visa, Mohsen enrolled in SSI’s Refugee Employment Support Program (RESP) and participated in work readiness workshops, gaining insights into the local job market, establishing networks, and connecting with mentors. He enrolled in English courses at TAFE and decided to study a Bachelor of Business, majoring in Applied Finance through a scholarship.
In 2022, Mohsen successfully found a job opportunity with the ANZ bank, a transformative stepping stone into the financial industry for him.
As Mohsen contemplated his career journey, he consistently emphasised the importance of learning opportunities. If he could say anything to himself ten years ago it would be to ‘learn, learn, and keep learning’.
Unfortunately, Mohsen’s temporary protection visa imposed further limitations, which hindered his prospects for ongoing employment at ANZ.
Yet, demonstrating resilience once again, Mohsen leveraged his financial knowledge to establish his own successful business, In2mortgages, as an independent mortgage broker.
Reflecting on his journey, Mohsen wanted to remind employers of the potential of empowering refugees, “Whilst it is unfortunate that they have had to leave their home countries, it presents a unique opportunity for employers in Australia.”
“Diversity brings opportunities to employers. They are fortunate to have access to this pool of diverse and talented people who can bring unique perspectives into their workplaces,” he said.
“At the end of the day, we [refugees] are going to open our own business, just like I have done. It is the employers who are missing out on seizing the opportunities that come with hiring us.”
But despite an impressive 15-year career in medicine, experience leading Afghanistan’s first HIV treatment centre, and a Master of Public Health at James Cook University, Mohammad faced an upward battle to find employment in the Australian medical sector.
Instead, with the support of the Refugee Employment Support Program (RESP), he has embarked on a new career path with Transport NSW, while undertaking the lengthy process of getting his overseas qualifications recognised.
“I eventually want to get back into the medical field. RESP helped me to get recognition of the documents and has also offered to support me with the fees for the AMC exam.”
While Mohammad works towards an Australian medical license, he collaborated with RESP to overcome some of the additional barriers refugees often face in finding employment in Australia. This includes gaining an understanding of local recruitment practices and work culture, building a network, and gaining practical skills and qualifications, such as an Australian driver’s licence.
“Most of the jobs when I was applying required me to have an Australian driver’s licence. So, RESP also supported me to get some classes, doing my learner’s test and getting my full licence.”
In July 2022, after seven months in Australia, Mohammad gained a Humanitarian Cadet position at Transport NSW. Mohammad excelled in his role with the Infrastructure and Place division and has since gained both a promotion and a permanent position in the team.
“In the beginning, it was a bit challenging but each day I learn new things and skills, so I just go with it. I am defiantly enjoying the role because I always enjoy challenges. Easy jobs can be done any time, but the good thing is I really enjoy challenging work like this,” Mohammad said.
“Importantly, my role with Transport NSW allows me to work from both home and the office, which has enabled me to encourage and support my wife to complete her studies as I have extra time to look after our kids and family.”
While Mohammad is making meaningful contributions to Transport NSW and enjoying his work, he remains determined to utilise his medical skills and experience to positively impact people’s lives in Australia.
“I have aspirations to get back into the medical field but first I have to get some background in Australia and working with government,” Mohammad says.
When Iranian-born Mary Logan sought refuge in Australia, she hoped to continue her work in hair and beauty. However, her overseas experience and qualifications were not recognised, forcing the salon owner and manager to begin again as an apprentice.
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