AMES volunteers were treated to the first performance of OPEN YOUR HEARTS – songs and stories of refugees at the Multicultural Hub on Monday June 16. AMES students and a community guide told the stories of their journeys and challenges…

Big increases in Australian government payments to asylum seekers who decide to return home simply allows ‘broader scope’ to help them out, Immigration Minister Scott Morrison says. Settlement or return packages are tailored to individual circumstances and may involve the…

THE City of Greater Dandenong has won an award for a campaign to stand up against racism: Racism. Get Up. Speak Out. The project, supported by Dandenong Leader, used a variety of mediums, including film and community workshops to communicate how…

Immigration Minister Scott Morrison has defended the size of Australia’s humanitarian refugee program in the light of a record blowout in the number of the world’s displaced people. Read more: http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/international/2014-06-20/immigration-minister-scott-morrison-rejects-labors-calls-for-increased-refugee-intake/1331004

The High Court has struck down a law which allowed the Government to cap the number of protection visas it issues for refugees in Australia. The ruling comes after two separate applications to the court from asylum seekers who were…

A young Hazara photo-journalist is using an exhibition to encourage the wider Australia to give asylum seekers a chance. Watch the clip: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-06-20/plight-of-afghan-hazara-people-revealed-in-new/5540528

More than 100 AMES students took part in the Western Bulldogs’ annual CALDplay Football Carnival this week at the Whitten Oval in Footscray. In very chilly weather men’s and women’s teams from AMES Footscray and Victoria University (VU) took on…

In a blow to the government’s tough stance on asylum seekers, High Court judges unanimously upheld challenges by a pair of asylum seekers who were determined by the Refugee Review Tribunal to be entitled to refugee protection. Read more: http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/2014/06/20/minister-cant-limit-visa-numbers-high-court

A new research project will look into how Australia can better utilise the talents and qualifications of spouses of the 190,000 skilled migrants who come here each year. The research has been commissioned in a bid to help solve the…

A new research project will look into how Australia can better utilise the talents and qualifications of spouses of the 190,000 skilled migrants who come here each year. The research has been commissioned in a bid to help solve the…

Australia has helped resettle almost 14,500 refugee women and their families Australia’s contributions to resettling almost 14,500 refugee women and their families over 25 years of the ‘woman at risk programme is being celebrated as part of Refugee Week 2014.…

SUSAN O’Keeffe knows how difficult it is to come from another country and try and find your place in society. That’s why the Canterbury woman has joined up with support service AMES in a mentoring role for new migrants. Read more: http://www.heraldsun.com.au/leader/central/canterbury-woman-helping-to-create-professional-links-as-a-mentor-through-ames/story-fngnvlpt-1226960401341