Clients

Since its establishment in 2002, CASE has assisted over 2000 clients in seeking permanent protection as refugees or humanitarian entrants, in their applications to be reunited with their family members, and in ultimately securing citizenship. CASE’s clients come from places far and wide including:

Algeria, Burundi, Cameroon, Congo, Ethiopia, Guinea, Kenya, Liberia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan, Uganda, Zimbabwe, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bahrain, Myanmar, Cambodia, China, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Lebanon, Malaysia, Palestine, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Syria, Tibet, Turkey, Vietnam, Poland, Slovenia, Ukraine

Below is a sample description of the experiences of a refugee, the details of which have been drawn from a range of our clients without identifying names to preserve confidentiality:

Y is a Hazara in his late 30’s from a small community in Afghanistan. He married young and had 3 children. Like many in his community, the family suffered because the area was not stable politically. After the Taliban took control of the area, violence increased towards Hazaras. The family suffered a tragedy when, in 1998, the local Wahdat Party headquarters was bombed by the Taliban. Many of his family were killed. As a result of the deaths he became responsible for his orphaned nephews as well as his younger brother. In 2000, Y was arrested by the Taliban. He was severely tortured and still bears the physical and psychological scars. After his release the family borrowed money to get him out of Afghanistan. He made it to Australia in 2000, and was granted a Temporary Protection Visa in 2001 and within 5 months was employed and has worked ever since.

Y registered with CASE and was assisted with his application for a Permanent Protection Visa (PPV). This was granted in late 2004. In this respect he was fortunate: he did not have to prolong the wait by going through the Refugee Review Tribunal. After gaining a PPV he started the process of sponsoring his wife and family. Several years after he arrived in Australia he located his family who had all fled to Iran. When he established contact, he immediately started to support them by sending money. With help from CASE his immediate family members were eventually granted visas. This year, his wife and sons arrived in Perth, followed by a younger nephew a few days later. But even this arrival was not without its problems because of difficulties with passports as they attempted to cross the Afghanistan border. With the assistance of CASE, contact was made with the Principal Migration Officer in Tehran. Within a few hours Tehran had responded, had contacted Y and assured him that the family could fly to Perth from Afghanistan.

The change in Y himself since his family arrived is remarkable. He is transformed. He looks younger, seems happy and relaxed, and despite the cost involved in new family sponsor applications for his other relatives, he is prepared to face the long slow process and the possible disappointments that it may bring for the sake of bringing all his family together again. Y’s case is a work in progress. Thanks to CASE he has a PPV, family members have arrived and he has hope for the future

It is important to remember the words of former UN Secretary General, Kofi Annan, when he said:

Refugees are ordinary people living extraordinary lives: driven from their homes by fear, conflict and persecution, they have had to give up jobs, possessions, dreams, even families in their struggle to survive. They remain some of the most vulnerable people in our society. They need assistance and protection. And they need our understanding.

Follow this link to see some of the comments of our former clients about their experiences at CASE.

In addition to providing legal assistance,  CASE provides education to clients on key issues they may face in the course of their applications for protection or family reunion.  CASE also refers clients to other service providers within its network that may be able to provide relevant assistance, such as the CARAD - Coalition Assisting Asylum Seekers and Detainees, and ASeTTS - the Association for Services to Torture and Trauma Survivors.