Urgent Asylum Seeker Funding Boost Opens
Specialist organisations supporting asylum seekers and temporary visa holders who need emergency support can now apply for a share of a $5.5 million funding boost from the NSW Government, in response to the current COVID-19 outbreak.
Minister for Multiculturalism Natalie Ward said the grants process was now open and funding would be directed to non-Government organisations (NGOs) who could help where the need was greatest.
“This funding will be available to NGOs who deliver immediate support to temporary visa holders, particularly asylum seekers, who are among the most vulnerable members of our community,” Mrs Ward said.
“It will help them provide emergency relief including food, medical support, essential housing and transport.
“It’s important this support gets to where it is needed most, as quickly as possible.”
The total funding package to support asylum seekers and temporary visa holders in response to the current outbreak is now $6.25 million, including $5.5 million for this program and $750,000 initially allocated for emergency relief.
The funding boost complements the work undertaken by the NSW Government to reach multicultural communities including:
- Direct engagement with more than 3000 religious and community leaders in dozens of online community forums;
- Multicultural NSW coordinating more than 150 individual interviews with community leaders to understand community needs;
- More than 1500 translated resources covering specific health information including stay-at-home orders in almost 60 languages;
- A partnership with SBS to interpret the daily COVID news conferences into Arabic, Assyrian, Cantonese, Khmer, Mandarin and Vietnamese, in real time;
- Urgent grants to more than 150 multicultural community organisations with grassroots community-led initiatives.
Eligible NGOs can apply for the latest grant through: https://multicultural.nsw.gov.au/grants