Pro bono support for refugees and people seeking asylum is where our Community Footprint program started over a decade ago and remains a key area for our practice. Through partnerships with the Refugee Advice & Casework Service (RACS), Refugee Legal and the Human Rights Law Centre, we provide pro bono assistance through clinics, secondments, client referrals, litigation and advocacy support.
Family Reunion
In the last year, WK collaborated closely with our refugee sector partners to provide visa application assistance to support some of the 19,000 individuals newly eligible for Resolution of Status visas. Policy changes in 2023 have meant that those that have lived in Australia for over a decade on temporary protection visas separated from their families now have the right to not only a permanent home but also to sponsor loved ones to join them.
Sajida Mourad, Associate, was involved in our RACS Family Reunion Project which has seen more than 20 lawyers contribute over 400 hours in preparing family visa applications to reunite clients with their partners, children and family members. Sajida helped finalise a fiancé visa application for a couple were engaged to be married just prior to the Taliban takeover in Afghanistan, however shortly separated after one partner received an emergency evacuation visa to Australia. After three years of separation the couple have since been reunited in Sydney. Sajida assisted the couple to complete the final stage of their visa process.
Sajida Mourad, Associate
“The opportunity to assist a couple fleeing a war-torn region with their visa application was a truly humbling and rewarding experience. Their story of resilience is a testament to the strength of the human condition in the face of adversity. It was an absolute privilege to assist and facilitate their journey towards new opportunities and a better life in Australia"
Supporting Gaza Families in Applying for Protection
In response to the war in Gaza, more than 50 of our Sydney-based staff devoted 310 hours to help finalise protection applications for clients fleeing the conflict. Most of these clients travelled to Australia on short-term visitor visas, without access to Medicare and work rights, and without knowing whether they will be granted permanent safety. WK volunteers attended RACS’ office on a fortnightly basis to telephone clients and complete their protection visa applications.
Brianna Clark, Associate
“The evening at RACS reminded me that we all have an obligation to use our knowledge, skills and time to protect and help those going through unimaginable situations, whether that be a listening ear, time or a glimmer of hope. To be able to assist families who have fled from Gaza to Australia with the hope of being granted permanent stay, gave me such a profound sense of fulfilment. Knowing that our efforts could potentially provide safety, stability, and a new beginning for these families was incredibly rewarding.”
Women at Risk
Angela Tan, Pro Bono Special Counsel, is volunteering each month at RACS' Women at Risk outreach clinic, meeting with clients in the community. This clinic provides support for refugee women and women seeking asylum in Australia who have experienced sexual or gender-based violence or family and domestic violence. Angela is providing assistance with their claims for protection in Australia, preparation for their hearings and obtaining rights to work so they can support themselves.
Angela Tan, Special Counsel
“Some of the clients I have met have been homeless or residing in women's shelters, some with young children, others still at risk of violence. While the work is intense and the clients' experiences challenging and confronting, it is personally rewarding to be able to assist them in some way towards a safer and more independent future. The last client I saw told me I had given her hope."
Refugee Legal
With the opportunity for our shared services and legal staff alike to assist the clients of Refugee Legal, our clinic work with Refugee Legal saw 39 staff contribute 1,147 hours in the last year. WK volunteers advise temporary visa holders on applying for permanency, respond to information requests, support family reunification processes, and prepare ministerial intervention applications. Our lawyers also volunteer at a specialist clinic with Refugee Legal to assist those who have fled the war in Gaza. Matthew Kenna, paralegal, undertook a three-month secondment with Refugee Legal, attending their office in Melbourne to lend hands-on support to the team.
“Assisting the wonderful team at Refugee Legal was an extremely positive and rewarding experience.
The Refugee Crisis is a global issue we should all look to lend a hand where we can."
Matthew Kenna, Paralegal
Casework
Another significant area of our refugee rights practice is providing litigation support to our pro bono partners as well as representing people seeking asylum in the judicial review process.
Our litigation support over the last year has seen WK lawyers and paralegals come together across offices to boost the capacity of our pro bono partners in complex and urgent refugee and immigration matters. Whether it has been through preparation of briefs, research to aid submissions, printing services or witness preparation, the support means that our partners can deliver the best services to their clients, counsel and own legal teams during critical moments of their casework.
Wotton Kearney acknowledges the traditional custodians of the lands on which we work, and pay our respects to Elders past and present.
© 2024 WOTTON + KEARNEY Legal information | Privacy | Legitimate interest | Contact
