The Hope Co-op providing support for asylum seeker youth in Australia
An initiative run by and for people from asylum-seeking backgrounds is providing young asylum seekers living in Australia with essential access to education and employment opportunities.
There are more than 25 million asylum seekers world-wide and around 30,000 people who fled their homes for safety and arrived by boat in Australia during 2012–2013. Most of these have remained in limbo despite ten years of living in Australia. These individuals have become known as the ‘legacy caseload’, and face significant barriers from policies aimed at deterring further asylum seekers. As a result, their access to social, economic and educational participation is severely restricted.
In response to these challenges, an initiative has been established by a group of asylum-seeking students in Australia, in collaboration with several citizens.
Speaking with The Wire’s Aryana Mohmood about this initiative was Secretary and Project Manager with the Hope Co-operative and PHD Candidate from Monash Faculty of Education, Sally Morgan.