Annual Report 2015/16

Annual Report 2015/16

Annual Report 15/16 3
Our Vision, Purpose and Values
Contents
03 Our Vision, Purpose and Values
04 Our Manifesto
06 President’s Foreword
07 A Message of Thanks
08 Who Are We?
08 Our Work
09 The Move to Randwick
10 The Launch
11 Timeline of Legal and Policy Changes
12 Outreach Services
14 Fast Track Process & RACS Response
16 Legal Help for Refugees Clinic
17 Primary Application Information Service (PAIS)
17 Justice for Refugees (J4R)
19 Ministerial Project
20 Fundraising Update
22 Policy & Law Reform
23 Awards
24 The People We Serve
26 Events
28 Our Team
31 Our Volunteers
36 Strategic Partners
38 Our Year in Review
39 Financial Report 2015/16
55 Glossary & Acronyms
Our Vision:
A fair and just decision-making process for people seeking asylum in Australia,
including access to legal services.
Our Purpose:
RACS exists to help people seeking protection in Australia by providing
free, specialist legal assistance.
Our Values:
Human dignity, integrity and independence.
Proudly printed by
Herbert Smith Freehills
Proudly supported by
University of New South Wales
Photography by
NK Photography

We are
RACS
INDEPENDENT
community legal
centre
a centre of
EXCELLENCE
RESPECTED
voice
highly skilled
PROFESSIONALS
MANIFESTO
We believe in
It’s about
We aim to
HUMAN
rights
dignity
access to legal
representation
EQUAL
people
we serve -
We strive to ensure
SERVE
people
seeking
FAIR
JUST
our clients competently
& sensitively
COMMUNICATE transparently
legal process
decision making
SAFETY
TREAT
ACT
We celebrate
in Australia.
SUPPORT
for each
other
STRENGTH & RESILIENCE
gain access to
equal and just
people with
respect
fairly, honestly
diligently
REPRESENTATION
SUCCESSES
of people seeking
safety
before
the
DEVELOP
excellent
professional skills
ADVOCATE
for reform in refugee
law & policy
LAW
For people seeking
safety, we are
the difference between staying & going

6 Refugee Advice & Casework Service Annual Report 15/16 7
President’s Foreword
a message of thanks
We have been very busy in our 29th year. The Department
of Immigration and Border Protection (DIBP) is finally
processing the over 24,000 people seeking asylum who
came by boat, many of whom have been in Australia since
2012. In response, we have organised our workforce to
provide legal assistance under a government tender to
those in this group deemed “vulnerable” (roughly 20%) and
advice and assistance, as far as our resources permit, to
the others. In addition, we continued providing advice to
persons who arrive by plane or who are detained, as well as
our family reunion work, and commenced a new program to
give advice on the prospects of judicial review.
We remain based at the University of New South Wales
(thanks to the University’s continuing commitment to our
work) but we hold interviews and clinics in a number of
locations such as Auburn, Parramatta, Haymarket and
Newtown. In addition, we now have a number of new
programs linking our work with other organisations. It
is with gratitude that I acknowledge the assistance with
accommodation, funding and in other ways we have
received from UTS Law School, the Jesuit Refugee Service,
the Scully Fund, the Asylum Seekers Centre, Auburn
Council, Dooleys Lidcombe, Kah Lawyers, Red Cross,
Amnesty International, House of Welcome, Service for
the Treatment and Rehabilitation of Torture and Trauma
Survivors, NSW Legal Aid Commission, Immigration Advice
and Rights Centre, Settlement Services International, Marist
Youth Care and Life without Barriers.
Details of our work are provided below but, in short, in
addition to our work based at Randwick and our visits
to detention centres we have a large clinical outreach
program, an education and information service, a project
assisting unaccompanied children, a program assisting
those whose bridging visas are cancelled and a family
reunion program. Last financial year we provided advice
to around 2800 people and gave legal assistance to over
2000 people. We also developed and provided numerous
training programs and made a number of submissions to
government bodies.
As mentioned, the Federal Government has set up a
scheme (PAIS) to fund immigration legal assistance for
“vulnerable” people. RACS is one of two organisations
nationwide who have won the tender to do this work. For all
the other people seeking asylum that RACS assists we rely
on ad hoc grants for specific projects and financial support
from the public. Over this year, the Vincent Fairfax Family
Foundation continued to match our fundraising with 33
cents for every dollar we raised and we are very grateful for
this support and for this continued show of confidence in
us.
The Management Committee publicly thanks our
committed and diligent staff who worked so hard in
very difficult circumstances. In particular, we thank
our Executive Director Tanya Jackson-Vaughan for her
energetic and imaginative style of management and our
Principal Solicitor Katie Wrigley who worked so hard to
maintain our high standards of legal service and to develop
new ways in which we could help our clients. Of course, our
solicitors (listed below) played a crucial role in all of this.
In our work we were greatly assisted by the provision of
secondees from Allens Linklaters, King & Wood Mallesons
and Norton Rose Fulbright and by the generous support in
other ways from Gilbert + Tobin. The pro bono assistance of
Henry Davis York, Baker and McKenzie, Hicksons, Herbert
Smith Freehills and Hall and Wilcox was also indispensable.
We could not be so productive without the generous help of
our many volunteers, legal and non-legal.
We thank all of you. The demand for our services has never
been greater. Again, a central problem for the coming year
is to obtain the funds we need to continue to do our work.
In other words, we will need the continuing support of the
“Friends of RACS”.
Arthur Glass
President
I am immensely grateful to the extraordinary team at the
Refugee Advice and Casework Service for their dedication
and hard work defending the human rights of people
seeking asylum.
The legal team, led by Katie Wrigley, has represented over
1000 people this year and given over 18,000 pieces of
advice to people who would otherwise not have received
any assistance with their protection visa application. The
Senior Solicitors, who this year have included Scott Cosgriff,
Jemma Hollonds, Alison Ryan, Ben Lumsdaine and Julia
Steward, have provided Katie with a solid foundation from
which she led a cutting edge legal service. RACS’ reputation
for quality legal casework, compassionate client support
as well as the provision of expert factsheets stems from
this strong leadership team. The positive feedback from the
people we help as well as asylum seeker support services
is a testament to the lawyers’ commitment to access to
justice.
Operations and fundraising staff members have provided
essential support to the organisation at a time when we
had to move location from the University of Sydney to the
University of New South Wales, fundraise for over 50% of
our funding needs and develop an increasingly wide range
of partnerships to ensure future sustainability. It has been
a busy year and I am truly grateful for the support of these
dedicated human beings.
In the past twelve months, we have developed our strategic
plan for the next 3 years and crafted a manifesto to
highlight the values that drive us. Thanks to Legal Aid, we
have been able to establish a new judicial review project,
Justice for Refugees, which will assist people with referrals
to pro bono barristers and lawyers. We continue to be
innovators in the provision of legal assistance to the 9000
people living in New South Wales that need our help.
Our relationships with pro bono firms and asylum seeker
support services are stronger than ever and we have
had over 500 volunteers providing essential legal and
interpreting support at our Legal Help for Refugees clinic.
Special mention must also go to Canterbury Girls High
School who have allowed us to use their school classrooms
for our Make A Statement Day sessions, facilitating the
provision of essential legal support, in only two days, for
over 90 people needing a statement of their protection
claims.
Lawyers, interpreters, students and social workers provide
the foundation for our work. Without this community
support, RACS would not have been able to continue to
provide essential legal services to the thousands of people
seeking protection who need our help.
Finally, as an organisation that needs to look out for our
future sustainability, we are so grateful to the hundreds of
everyday Australians who have put their hands up to help
us help people seeking safety. You are the difference.
Tanya Jackson-Vaughan
Executive Director

8 Refugee Advice & Casework Service Annual Report 15/16 9
Who are we?
The Move to Randwick
RACS provides free, specialist legal services for people
seeking asylum and refugees. Through individual advice
sessions, community education and public advocacy, RACS
strives to ensure that individuals and families at risk of
persecution gain access to equal and fair representation
before the law.
Legal Help for Refugees Clinic at UTS
Assisting Fast Track applicants with statements of
protection claims, and pre-lodgment advice.
Monday and Wednesday nights, 6-9pm
By appointment only
RACS is an independent community legal centre (CLC).
We have been operating for over 25 years, protecting and
advocating for the human rights of people seeking asylum
in Australia.
Joint Legal Service at the Asylum Seekers Centre
Monday, Wednesday, Thursday & Friday
By appointment only
We have a team of 17 lawyers, experienced in human rights
and migration law, who dedicate themselves to achieving
positive outcomes for their clients. Our staff come from
a wide range of cultural backgrounds, and several have
refugee backgrounds themselves.
Our Work
Head Office
1-3 Eurimbla Avenue, Randwick.
Opening Hours: Monday to Friday, 9-5
Telephone Advice: Tuesday, 10 -11:30
All other services are by appointment only
Outreach Drop in Services
Auburn Outreach
Auburn Centre for Community
44a Macquarie Rd, Auburn
Wednesday, 10-12 (Drop-in)
Parramatta Outreach,
Jesuit Refugee Service, Arrupe Place
4 Victoria Rd, Parramatta
Monday & Friday, 10-12 (Drop-in)
Primary Application Information Service (PAIS)
RACS has the contract to provide unaccompanied children
and particularly vulnerable people with application
assistance. The service assists a small percentage of
people claiming protection through the Department of
Immigration and Border Protection’s Fast Track process.
By referral from DIBP only.
Justice for Refugees (J4R@RACS)
Provides assistance to applicants who have had a
protection visa refused by DIBP and affirmed by IAA. RACS
forwards applications to pro bono barristers for an opinion
of merit. If merit is found, RACS will endeavor to refer the
matter to be run on a pro bono basis in the relevant court.
In August 2015, we moved! After being generously housed
at The University of Sydney’s Phillip Street premises since
2008, our time there came to an end.
After a few months of uncertainty, the University of New
South Wales (UNSW) came to our rescue, offering us a rentfree
home at 1-3 Eurimbla Avenue, Randwick, allowing our
invaluable work to continue.
Our new home is situated in the heart of Sydney’s Eastern
suburbs near regular bus services and within walking
distance of the Sydney Children’s Hospital and UNSW.
“This support from UNSW has come at a critical time. We had
to leave our previous premises and 85% of our funding was
cut, forcing us to rely more heavily on donations and grants to
continue our vital work” says RACS Executive Director, Tanya
Jackson-Vaughan.
The re-location and partnership with UNSW is not only
beneficial for RACS, but also for UNSW Law who are
demonstrating a commitment to tackling social justice
issues, and who now have “another community legal centre
close by in which students can volunteer, intern, and take
clinics,” as highlighted by Dean of Law Professor David
Dixon. Without his assistance, and that of the Vice-
Chancellor of UNSW, Professor Ian Jacobs and RACS
President, Arthur Glass, the move would not have been
possible. Their tireless work and commitment to supporting
RACS is hugely appreciated.
Finding a new home was integral to continuing the work we
do in assisting and supporting one of the most vulnerable
groups in the community. Without the generosity of donors,
volunteers and supporters such as UNSW, RACS would be
unable to protect or give a voice to these people. We are
incredibly appreciative of all the support we receive.

10 Refugee Advice & Casework Service
The Launch
Timeline of Legal and Policy Changes
affecting people seeking asylum
(1 July 2015 – 30 June 2016)
In late April 2016, we hosted an official launch event,
celebrating both our relocation and our new partnership with
the UNSW Faculty of Law. The unveiling of a freshly painted
mural, designed and executed by Giles Fryer of Sydney-based
Communicreative served as a focal point for the launch
celebration.
As Giles said, the stunning mural, which he hand-painted in
early April, serves to “help to celebrate the partnership between
RACS & UNSW Law and will also establish an identity for this
unique legal centre in the local community”. He believes that the
mural can also have a long-term impact in “creating a more
welcoming and inclusive point of entry for RACS’ clients when
they visit the offices”.
The concept design for the mural envisaged an Arctic Tern in
mid-flight. This particular bird is known for making one of the
longest annual migrations of any bird in the world and was
selected for this project as a meaningful way to represent
notions of freedom and flight, as well as symbolising
a journey.
As Giles Fryer explained, “The Arctic Tern was also selected as
a representation for migration itself. This is particularly
important in the context of the services that RACS provides as
they regularly work with clients who have had to travel great
distances in search of freedom for themselves and/or their
families.”
1 July 2015 The Refugee Review Tribunal amalgamates into the Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT).
Departmental email addresses change from “immi” to “border”.
1 July 2015 Applications for protection visas once lodged now receive an acknowledgement letter
which also includes a 91W request to provide certified copies of any documentary evidence of identity,
nationality, or citizenship, and a warning that refusing or failing to comply, or producing a ‘bogus’
document will result in refusal of the grant of the visa.
10 October 2015 Legislative instrument IMMI15/122 declares all of Tasmania as a regional area for the
purposes of satisfying the work/study test on a Safe Haven Enterprise Visa (SHEV).
October 2015 Alternation in the form of bar-lifting letters for fast track people seeking asylum.
Applications were previously requested within 28 days, and are now requested within 28 days but required
within 60 days. The bar lift period remains indefinite.
October 2015 Legislative instrument IMMI16/010 provides that a person may be a fast track applicant if
they are:
• a baby born in Australia on or after 6 November 2013 and before 5 December 2014 to a parent
who arrived on or after 19 July 2013 and was taken to Nauru where the Minister has lifted the
legislative application bar to allow them to make a valid application for a protection visa.
• the parent of this baby who came to Australia on or after 19 July 2013 and was previously taken
to Nauru and where the Minister has lifted the legislative application bar to allow them to make a
valid application for a protection visa.
• the siblings of this baby (younger or older) who came by boat to Australia and where the Minister
has lifted the legislative application bar to allow them to make a valid application for a protection
visa.
1 April 2016 Legislative instrument IMMI16/008 provides that people taken to Nauru or Manus Island
during the period 13 August 2012 until 19 July 2013 who are now in Australia may become
fast track applicants.
May 2016 Departmental policy changes to allow decisions to be made not to interview protection visa
applicants from Malaysia, India, Nepal, South Korea and Tonga where their claims are not supported by
country information (i.e., independent reports documenting the situation in a country).
7 May 2016 Legislative instrument IMMI16/049 provides that children born in Australia on or after 1
January 2014 to a fast track applicant can become fast track applicants.

Annual Report 15/16 13
outreach programs
Auburn
With the ongoing support of Auburn Council and
Dooleys Lidcombe Catholic Club, we have continued
to hold an outreach service in Auburn, the suburb with
the highest asylum seeker population in Sydney.
The service is based at the Auburn Centre for Community
and provides advice to drop-in clients as well as people
with appointments. Our Auburn Outreach is part of an
asylum seeker hub at the centre, with House of Welcome
and Settlement Services International providing alternating
fortnightly meals, form-filling support and a Refugee Health
Nurse available for much needed medical services.
Parramatta
Through a partnership with the Jesuit Refugee Service,
we have also continued hosting an outreach service
in Parramatta. Parramatta Outreach runs twice
weekly, and like Auburn, requires dedicated staff and
volunteers to assist as many clients as possible.
RACS & Asylum Seekers Centre (ASC) Legal Service
Based at the ASC’s Newtown home, the partnership
of RACS and ASC’s Legal Service is now in its second
year of providing a holistic, wrap around service for
people seeking asylum. This unique partnership has
been augmented by the wonderful pro bono support
of Gilbert & Tobin and Hicksons Lawyers. We are very
grateful to both firms for their ongoing commitment
on a weekly basis to assisting our mutual clients.
In a resource-poor sector, it is remarkable that our
organisations have had the confidence and trust
in each other to collaborate on such an important
project. It has been very rewarding working with
ASC on making this partnership a success. We
hope it will continue for many years to come.
The RACS/ASC Legal Service was a finalist in the Law
& Justice Awards Pro Bono Award in October 2015.
At Parramatta Outreach we provide clients with various
pieces of legal advice, assist in the completion of
forms, explain correspondence from DIBP and refer
clients to other internal and external services.

14 Refugee Advice & Casework Service Annual Report 15/16 15
Fast Track Process and RACS Response
There is a group of around 24,000 people in Australia who
are currently in the process of receiving permission to
lodge protection visa applications. Although they arrived in
Australia between August 2012 and the end of 2013, they
were “barred” from making any kind of visa application by
reason of their mode of arrival. It is anticipated that over
the next few years this group will progressively be given
permission to apply for protection visas.
A person seeking asylum who came by boat to Australia is
a fast track applicant if they:
• arrived in Australia on or after 13 August 2012 and
before 1 January 2014; and
• have not previously been to a regional processing
country (either Nauru or Papua New Guinea).
The first date corresponds with the previous government’s
announcement of its “no advantage” policy. Not making a
decision about refugee status was part of that policy.
After a period in detention in Australia, most people were
granted bridging visas. Another part of the “no advantage”
policy was that although people were permitted to live in
the community, they were not allowed to work. For some
people this meant more than two and a half years of
surviving without working. The Minister for Immigration
began granting bridging visas with work rights after the fast
track legislation was passed in December 2014.
Approximately 80% of this group of people have not had
(and will not have) access to lawyers under any scheme of
government funded legal assistance. RACS and a number
of other refugee legal centres around Australia are assisting
people with statement writing, completing forms and with
legal advice. This work is generally funded by these refugee
legal centres own fundraising efforts and interpreting costs
are a significant expense that fundraising efforts
must also cover.
We know from the legal work we have been doing with this
client group that they are from a range of countries, but that
the four predominant nationalities are Sri Lankan, Afghan,
Iraqi and Iranian.
What is new about the protection visa process for this
group?
This group is subject to new rules regarding the protection
visa process. A significant difference between the fast
track process and the system that continues for other
protection visa applicants is that the only avenue for
merits review of fast track decisions is a new body, the
Immigration Assessment Authority (IAA).
Unlike the AAT (and before it the RRT), which must invite
applicants to hearings and allow them to comment on
adverse information, the IAA:
• has no obligation to hold a hearing or seek any
information from an applicant;
• has no obligation to allow a fast track applicant to
respond or correct adverse information raised at the
Immigration stage; and
• is not required to consider new information provided
by the applicant other than in what it considers to
be exceptional circumstances.
The IAA is therefore bound by very limited rules of natural
justice. The only situation in which the IAA is required to
invite a fast track applicant to comment on information is
where the IAA seeks to affirm the decision under review by
relying on information that wasn’t available to the primary
decision maker.
In addition to the changes described, it is also worth noting
that even where a fast track applicant is successful, the
visa itself is now different. At the point of their “bar lift”,
applicants must make a choice between applying for two
kinds of temporary visas: they must choose whether they
lodge an application for a Temporary Protection Visa (TPV)
or Safe Haven Enterprise Visa (SHEV).
If applicants are hoping to apply for permanent visas (such
as skilled or spouse visas) after holding a SHEV they need
to plan to be working or studying in a designated regional
area. New South Wales was the first state to declare such
areas, declaring almost all of the state outside of Sydney,
Wollongong and Newcastle. All of Tasmania has also been
designated.
The new definition of a refugee
This group of people are also subject to new definition of
a refugee. There are currently two definitions of a refugee
running concurrently in Australia: one which applies for
protection visa applications lodged on or after 16 December
2014, and one which applies for protection visa applications
lodged prior to that date.
The new definition removes references to the Refugee
Convention from the Migration Act and replaces them
with a narrower, codified interpretation of its international
protection obligations under the Refugee Convention.
The new definition applies to all people seeking asylum
regardless of their mode of arrival in Australia, but it
will apply to all fast track applicants (because they did
not have permission to lodge a valid application before
commencement of the new definition).
RACS’ response
RACS has responded to this increased legal need by
changing our processes and harnessing the incredible
support of a number of partners and volunteers. We have
moved from a telephone advice model of service provision
to a drop-in outreach service model. We have moved to two
evening clinic nights to allow for solicitors with daytime
commitments to volunteer their time at night. We have
initiated the ‘Justice for Refugees’ project to allow for
judicial review of negative decisions by the IAA.
The changes we have made have been embarked upon
in recognition of Australia’s obligations not to return to
situations of persecution people seeking asylum who arrive
in Australia, regardless of when, how or where they arrived
and whether they arrived with or without a visa.
At the time of publication we have now provided over 3000
fast track clients with legal help.
Behind RACS’ response is a commitment to a decision
making process at both merits review and judicial review
levels which is fair. Our experience at RACS tells us that it is
inherently unfair to expect people seeking asylum without
financial resources to present their cases to decision
makers in English, in writing, without legal knowledge about
the Australian legal system and while suffering the negative
effects of previous trauma.
The decision whether to grant a protection visa may mean
the difference between rebuilding a life and being sent back
to grave danger. The seriousness of the risks involved for
our clients informs our commitment to a decision making
process which is fair and just, and which necessarily
includes access to legal help.
“I really feel that we make a difference. Recently, we had a client
with a complex history which couldn’t be explained in detail
without a lot of help. They were from a religious minority and
had experienced a lot of problems in their home country the
year before they left. Their application for a protection visa
had been refused and we represented them before the Refuge
Review Tribunal and now they have permanent residency.”
Scott Cosgriff, Senior Solicitor

16 Refugee Advice & Casework Service Annual Report 15/16 17
Legal Help for Refugees Clinic
Primary Application
Information Service (PAIS)
In FY2015-16, our legal clinic assisted more than 1700
people seeking asylum via the ‘fast track’ processing
regime. The Legal Help for Refugees Clinic assisted clients
in the following ways:
• Assisting more than 1500 people to complete a
Freedom of Information (FOI) request to obtain a
copy of their documents.
• Requesting extensions of time from DIBP for more
than 1100 clients to complete the application
process.
• Providing a three hour appointment with a volunteer
lawyer and interpreter to prepare a statement of
claims for more than 650 clients.
• Referring more than 500 clients to community
groups for assistance with the completion of visa
application forms.
• Providing more than 250 clients with a three hour
appointment with a Registered Migration Agent
to review their statement and visa application,
obtain advice about the law and their merits, and
instructions no how to lodge their application with
the DIBP.
• In some cases, the clinic is also able to provide
limited assistance to clients after they have lodged
their application. This may be through RACS’
telephone advice or face-to-face appointments to
advise clients how to prepare for an interview with
DIBP, and how to respond to requests for further
information from DIBP. In some instances, Clinic
has arranged for volunteer lawyers, usually from
Hall & Wilcox, to attend DIBP protection interviews
with clients and provide written submissions.
Clinic Client Demographics
Country of Birth %
Sri Lanka 28.94%
Iran 20.25%
Afghanistan 17.20%
Burma (Myanmar) 8.55%
Iraq 7.91%
Bangladesh 7.03%
Pakistan 6.09%
Sudan 0.88%
Kuwait 0.44%
Syria 0.44%
Lebanon 0.39%
Nepal 0.29%
Somalia 0.29%
Palestine 0.20%
India 0.15%
Other 0.93%
Gender %
Female 9%
Male 91%
Age %
20 & under 3%
21-30 41%
31-45 47%
46-60 9%
Over 60 1%
Area %
NT 2.08%
NSW 96.07%
VIC 0.19%
QLD 0.51%
SA 0.09%
WA 1.06%
Within the Legal Help for Refugees Clinic, 104 of
our clients are unaccompanied children, including
24 on Nauru.
What is J4R@RACS?
This project provides a judicial review referral service for
protection visa applicants who have had a TPV or SHEV
visa application refused by DIBP, and affirmed by the
Immigration Assessment Authority (IAA). Services can
also be provided to those who have been excluded from
accessing the IAA by the DIBP primary decision maker.
Who is the service for?
The service is for ‘fast track applicants’ in New South Wales
who arrived in Australia by boat between 13 August 2012
and 1 January 2014, and who were not sent for offshore
processing. RACS will also consider assisting clients in
certain detention centres if resources permit.
J4R@RACS staff
Nadine Darling (Solicitor) and Mariam Hammoudy (Legal
Administrative Assistant) are the project staff.
RACS is one of two providers of this government funded service
which aims to provide casework support to a small percentage of
people seeking asylum came to Australia by boat and are in the
DIBP’s legacy caseload. This is a national service. RACS partners
with the Humanitarian Group in Western Australia, the Refugee
and Immigration Legal Service in Queensland and has been
assisted by Australian Migration Options for some of our clients
in South Australia.
Justice for Refugees
How the service works
The service assists clients with limited financial resources
by referring the client’s matter to a barrister or law firm for
an opinion as to ‘merit’ or the prospects of success of an
application for judicial review of the IAA decision. If merit is
found, then RACS will endeavor to refer the matter to be run
on a pro bono basis in the relevant court.
J4R@RACS works collaboratively with Status Resolution
Support Service (SRSS) providers and other support
agencies to assist potential clients to access the service.
For their assistance and support on the project, RACS
would like to thank the Immigration Advice and Rights
Centre (IARC), Legal Aid, The NSW Bar Association
The Law Society of NSW and Settlement Services
International (SSI).

18 Refugee Advice & Casework Service Annual Report 15/16 19
Ministerial Project
RACS is currently helping a large number of people who
have previously been detained on Nauru and who are now
in Australia receiving medical treatment.
By listening to their stories, and reviewing their medical
records, we can conclude that the conditions and duration
of offshore detention is causing irreparable harm to these
people.
In short, Nauru is not a place where people can feel safe.
We have a dedicated team of volunteers who make
Ministerial representations on behalf of the people we
serve. Our assistance is aimed at avoiding their transfer
back to Nauru and certain harm.

20 Refugee Advice & Casework Service Annual Report 15/16 21
Fundraising Update
philanthropy
/fr’ lanθrepi/
noun: the desire to promote the welfare of others,
expressed especially by the generous donation of money
to good causes. ORIGIN early 17th cent.: via late Latin from
Greek, from philein ‘to love’ + anthrōpos ‘human being’.
“A lot of people say that business will lift up the developing
economies, and social business will take care of the rest. But
it always leaves behind that ten percent or more that is most
disadvantaged or unlucky. And that’s where the nonprofit
sector and philanthropy come in. Philanthropy is the market for
love. It is the market for all those people for whom there is no
other market coming.” Dan Pallotta (Entrepreneur, author and
humanitarian activist)
There are currently over 24,000 people seeking asylum in
Australia who came by boat and are now subject to Fast
Track Processing.
Each is a unique human being, each with different life
experiences.
And they share one thing in common: to obtain protection
they need to speak with a human rights lawyer.
At RACS a dedicated group of lawyers and support staff
work to obtain safety and protection for ordinary people
from all over the world.
The importance of our work cannot be overstated. Under
Fast Track Processing, with one interview and no right to
appeal, demand for our service is now at unprecedented
levels.
In short, for a person who came by boat, a RACS lawyer can
mean the difference between staying and going.
The above situation is a clear provocation to the notion of
good society.
We are ever aware that this important work is made
possible only because of the sacrifices and contributions
made by you, our loyal, firm and humane supporters.
More than two years after an 85% cut to our previous
funding by the Federal Government, RACS remains a force
for good because of the leadership shown by an expanding
circle of supporters determined to be counted on the better
side of humanity.
Our special gratitude to the growing Friends of RACS circle.
Thank you for making a commitment in your personal
budget to support our work with a monthly donation. This
sacrifice provides RACS with both financial certainty and
encouragement.
Our sincere thanks to the grant makers and institutions
which have demonstrated philanthropic leadership
including The Vincent Fairfax Family Foundation, The
Sidney Myer Fund, The Neilson Foundation, The Scully
Fund, Settlement Services International, Dooleys Lidcombe,
The Chill Foundation, The Law & Justice Foundation,
Auburn City Council, Blue Mountains Refugee Support
Group and Claudia Graham.
We thank our law firm partners for providing the financial
support, technical expertise, pro bono and in-kind donations
which enable us to leverage our resources. Our gratitude
to Allens Linklaters, Baker & McKenzie, Gilbert + Tobin,
Hicksons Lawyers, Henry Davis York, Herbert Smith
Freehills, King & Wood Mallesons, Norton Rose Fulbright,
Hall and Wilcox and Wotton + Kearney.
Thank you to our tertiary partners the University of NSW,
the University of Technology, Sydney, the University of
Wollongong, Macquarie University, the University of
Sydney and the College of Law. Our special gratitude to the
University of NSW for hosting us in our new premises at
Eurimbla Avenue, Randwick.
We appreciate the efforts of everyone who organised and
attended one of the many events held for our benefit during
the year. These include the Auburn Council’s Refugee Camp
In My Neighbourhood, Crossing Borders at the National
Art School, the Dooleys Christmas Fair, Spirituality In The
Pub, Chasing Asylum Film Screenings, The Good Lie Film
Screenings, The Vanished Musicians Exhibition and the
Crossing Borders Q&A Panel by UNSW Medical Students
Association.
We acknowledge the significant support of the staff and
management of our Workplace Giving partners Allens
Linklaters, King & Wood Mallesons and Baker & McKenzie.
Finally, we extend our deep gratitude to the numerous
volunteers who give of their valuable personal time to
further the claims of those seeking safety.
In short, RACS remains because of the love of humanity
shown by those who support our work. This recognition
of the needs of another has the power to produce
transformational outcomes in the lives of ordinary people.
For this we say: thank you.
Andrew Kelly
Fundraising Manager

22 Refugee Advice & Casework Service Annual Report 15/16 23
Policy & Law Reform Work
RACS is a leader in providing legal assistance to people who
seek asylum, and uses this expertise to advocate for reform
in Australian refugee law and policy.
On the 5th of February 2016, RACS lawyer Scott Cosgriff
appeared before the Senate Hearing into Complementary
Protection.
RACS is a member of the following advisory committees:
• Protection Process Reform Group – with DIBP
• Refugee Council of Australia’s committee on
detention centres
• Kaldor Centre Committee for Refugee Legal Centres
• Asylum Seeker Interagency
• Human Rights Council
• TPV/SHEV working group
• Post-IAA strategic planning
Alliances:
• RAINCLC – Refugee & Immigration Coalition of
Legal Centres
• NAPSA – New South Wales Alliance for People
seeking Asylum with ASC, House of Welcome and
Jesuit Refugee Service – collaborating for better
outcomes for the people we serve.
“At the end of 2014, the government passed legislation that
we’d advocated against for a year. They introduced temporary
protection visas for anyone coming by boat, instead of
permanent ones. This has made it easier to remove people
from the country even when they have legitimate refugee
claims. It’s made everything harder. But we have to think:
OK, this is now the framework in which we work and get on
with it.”
Elyse Trotter, Solicitor
Award Nominations
In the past year RACS has been a finalist for the following
awards:
• Human Rights Awards: Law Award Finalists
• Law & Justice Foundation Justice Awards:
Justice Medal – Finalist
Our children’s champion, Sarah Dale, was
nominated for the 2015 Justice Medal in
recognition of improving access to justice for
socially and economically disadvantaged people in
NSW. Sarah’s work with unaccompanied children
seeking safety is unique and has produced
transformational life outcomes.
Pro Bono partnership Award –Finalist ASC & RACS &
G&T for the RACS/ASC legal service partnership.
• Lawyers Weekly Women in Law Awards 2015:
Mentor of the Year - Katie Wrigley,
Boutique Diversity Law Firm of the Year
• Lawyers Weekly Partner of the Year Awards 2016,
Alison Ryan, Senior Solicitor

24 Refugee Advice & Casework Service Annual Report 15/16 25
The People we serve
We serve people who come from every walk of life. We
admire their courage and strength. Their stories need to be
heard.
We want to share with you the story of Abdul*. When he
was only three years old, his father was taken by the Taliban
and they never heard from him again.
Abdul’s remaining family tried to move from their home in
Afghanistan to Pakistan, but the authorities would not allow
them to live there lawfully and the children were not able to
go to school. They were forced to live there undocumented
and his mother struggled to support her five children.
When she became seriously ill, 8 year old Abdul was forced
to become the breadwinner.
Abdul and another young boy worked together at a
market trying to sell fruit from a cart they bought from a
marketplace. In 2012, Abdul and his friend became the
targets of violence. They were caught in the violence
against the Hazara people, when their Mosque was
attacked during Muharram. The shootings surrounding
Abdul’s house were becoming more frequent.
Abdul decided he had to leave. He made his way to Thailand
and Malaysia before he was caught and detained for a
number of months. Once released, he decided to keep
moving through to Indonesia. He heard there that if you tell
the authorities of your age, you are taken to a camp and
not able to leave until turning 18. He found another Afghan
family who let him pretend to be their son for his safety. He
was able to then make his journey to Australia.
Once arriving in Australia, Abdul’s boat was taken to
Christmas Island and he was kept on a navy ship for a few
days.
At age 15, he entered Christmas Island detention centre,
where he remained for approximately 18 months before
moving to a mainland centre, and then to community
detention.
Our role at RACS was to assist Abdul, advocating for him
to not be transferred to Nauru. After that win, we then
advocated for him to be released from detention, and be
afforded the protection he so humbly deserves.
Now we are in the process of helping him apply for his visa
to remain in Australia. He has dreams of becoming a Nurse
and hopes to secure a scholarship to study at a regional
university.
On Abdul’s boat, another boy, Murtaza*, of the same age
and background was sent to Nauru, where he has been
since September 2013. Murtaza was only able to attend
school whilst in the detention centre. He cannot attend
school on Nauru and lives in constant fear, having been
attacked recently whilst riding his motorbike.
Our role at RACS is to advocate for Murtaza’s return to
Australia and to give voices to the other boys he lives
with and their terrible experience of no education, sub par
housing and a volatile untenable future.
Sharing the camp with Murtaza, a young girl, Layla* of the
same age as Abdul, was also initially sent to Nauru, but was
returned to Australia for medical treatment with her mother.
Layla’s mother became seriously mentally ill and needed to
come to Australia for urgent psychiatric treatment following
serious levels of self harm.
Our role at RACS is to advocate for Layla and her mother
to remain in Australia, give voice to their vulnerabilities,
appalling treatment and lack of medical care received on
Nauru.
Layla asked that her mother be treated in Sydney as her
uncle lives here. Layla’s Uncle Yousef had managed to leave
Syria and arrive in Australia by plane. He arrived in early
2012, applied for protection and consequently was granted
a permanent protection visa. Despite the family all fleeing
the same war, each faced very different treatment due to
their mode of arrival.
Our role at RACS is to assist Yousef in applying for the
family he left behind to join him here in Australia. He didn’t
have the money at the time to send his family with Layla
and her mother and so they waited, hoping Yousef would
find another way.
What we learn at RACS every day is that for every Abdul,
Murtaza, Layla and Yousef, there are hundreds of people
still in detention, detained offshore and in the community,
not to mention the thousands of family members they have
all left behind.
Our role at RACS is to listen, discover, assist, advocate and
serve some of the most vulnerable, yet courageous people
in the world. For people seeking safety in Australia, RACS is
the difference between staying and going.
*Names have been changed to protect privacy
Sarah Dale
Children, Youth & Policy Specialist Solicitor

26 Refugee Advice & Casework Service Annual Report 15/16 27
Events & Forums
Make a Statement Day
Over two days, RACS staff and volunteers, as well as
volunteer solicitors and interpreters, came together to take
90 statements of claim from people seeking safety.
Our most sincere thanks to the staff at Canterbury Girls
High School for opening their doors to facilitate this, and to
the students of Canterbury Girls High School who assisted
on the days. In addition, we would like to thank the Tamil
& Hazara communities for coming together to provide
essential interpreting skills. Special thanks to Krishna &
Brami Jegan for organising the food.
RACS Stall at local festivals
RACS has been able to represent its vital work at a number
of local festivals including the Dulwich Hill Village Fair,
Marrickville Festival, Newtown Festival, Dooleys Christmas
Fair, Africultures Festival and the New Beginnings Festival.
#LetThemStay
Sarah Dale and Tanya Jackson-Vaughan spoke at the Panel
discussion with Dr Sarah Mares held at UNSW.
Crossing Borders – Boundless Plains Exhibition
Curated by Amber Hearn, Crossing Borders was a
funraising exhibition held in collaboration with the National
Art School. Established and emerging artists generously
donated works of art, with proceeds donated to RACS to
support people seeking asylum. Crossing Borders is now an
annual event.
“Everyone should be treated in the same way, no matter
who they are or where they are from. There should be
equality for all.”
Uma Ramaprasad, Finance Officer
Uniting Network Australia’s LGBTIQ Refugee Forum
Tina, our Fundraising & Communications Assistant, was
on the panel at this event, with Professor Gillian Triggs -
President of the Australian Human Rights Commission,
Imam Nur Warsame, Che Bishop - COO of ASC, and
Professor Dennis Altman, speaking about particular
challenges faced by LGBTIQ refugees.
Representing Refugees Today
RACS, the Kaldor Centre, and Gilbert & Tobin came together
for a panel discussion on legal sector responses to changes
in asylum seeker policy and funding.
““People who seek safety can come from richer or poorer
backgrounds. People who seek safety can be more or less motivated
individuals. People who seek safety can be remarkably
resilient individuals, or can be too traumatised to cope with life.
No matter what their economic situation was in their home
country and in transit, we can provide safety and rehabilitation
to the people who arrive here having fled serious violence back
at home. We have the capacity to settle these people here and
welcome them into our community.”
Simon Bruck, Solicitor

28 Refugee Advice & Casework Service Annual Report 15/16 29
OUR TEAM
The Management Committee
Dr. Arthur Glass – President
Chris Yoo – Vice President
Lachlan Murdoch – Public Officer
David Wiggins – Treasurer
Tim Gordon – Committee Member
James Nguyen – Committee Member
Kate Mills – Committee Member
Anthea Lowe – Former Committee Member, Retired 2015
Ariel Spiegelman – Former Vice-President, Retired 2016
Lien Pham – Former Treasurer, Retired 2015
Lucy Morgan – Former Secretary, Retired 2016
Heidi Nash-Smith – Former Committee Member, Retired
2016
Staff
Thank you so much to all the staff of RACS - hard working,
dedicated, passionate, kind, and compassionate.
Diversity is our strength, with staff able to speak Tamil,
Hindi, Arabic, Farsi, Dari, Hazaragi, Serbian, Ukrainian, and
Sinhalese. We are united in our passion to uphold the rights
of people seeking asylum and our aim to provide the best
possible legal support to people applying for protection.
Tanya Jackson-Vaughan – Executive Director
Katie Wrigley – Principal Solicitor
RACS General Practice Team
Ben Lumsdaine – Senior Solicitor
Jemma Hollonds – Senior Solicitor
Scott Cosgriff – Senior Solicitor
Nargis Rajab – Solicitor
Melisa Cicak – Solicitor
Elyse Trotter – Solicitor
Sharara Attai – Solicitor
Sylvia Arzey – Solicitor
Nadia Khan – Former Solicitor
PAIS Team
Julia Steward – Senior Solicitor
Sarah Dale – Children, Youth and Policy Specialist Solicitor
Simon Bruck – Solicitor
Isobel McGarity – Solicitor
Rawan Arraf – Solicitor
Nicholas Ngai – Solicitor
Atika Hussain – Solicitor
Jane Turner – PAIS Coordinator
Georgia-Rae Cobon – PAIS Project Officer
Laura Hibbert - Former PAIS Coordinator
Stephanie Blaker – Former PAIS Administrative Assistant
Legal Help for Refugees Clinic Team
Alison Ryan – Senior Solicitor
Hannah Gray – Legal Administrative Assistant
Erasmus Lovell-Jones – Former Legal Administrative
Assistant
Thulasi Wigneswaran – Former Legal Administrative
Assistant
Justice for Refugees (J4R@RACS)
Nadine Darling – Solicitor
Mariam Hammoudy - Legal Administrative Assistant
Finance and Operations Team
Kerrith Sowden – Manager of Operations and Finance
Uma Ramaprasad – Finance Officer
Mohammad Housaini – IT Officer
Amanda Hall – Administration Officer
Maja Bulut-Hallett – Former Office Manager
Emma Somyden Davey – Former Volunteer Coordinator
Dana Dumitriu – Former Finance Manager
Julie Stapleton – Former Manager of Operations and
Finance
Fundraising Team
Andrew Kelly – Fundraising Manager
Tina Posunkina – Fundraising and Communications
Assistant
Secondees
Fiona Chong – King & Wood Mallesons
Jo Sarolis - Norton Rose Fulbright
Justine Krajewski – Norton Rose Fulbright
Aarthi Sridharan – King & Wood Mallesons
Jonathan Hall Spence – Allens Linklaters
Michael Forgacs – King & Wood Mallesons
Amritha Thiyagarajan – Norton Rose Fulbright
RACS is immensely grateful to our partner legal firms for
their ongoing support, and to the individual lawyers who
joined us and dedicated themselves to our mission.

Annual Report 15/16 31
Reflections
Volunteers
“Working at RACS has given me the unique opportunity to
undertake varied and fascinating legal work, and to engage at
all stages with Australia’s refugee status determination process.
It has been nothing short of a life-changing experience to be
able to work closely with people seeking asylum in Australia. It
has also been a real pleasure and privilege to work closely with
a truly wonderful and dedicated group of staff and volunteers
at RACS. I feel very fortunate to have had this opportunity
through the secondment program at King & Wood Mallesons”.
Fiona Chong - King & Wood Mallesons Secondee
“I started volunteering at RACS in late 2015 and volunteered
around three days a week over the summer holidays. I’ve
volunteered at other community legal centres and can safely say
RACS gives its volunteers the most challenging and diverse range
of tasks, as well as an unparalleled work environment. Whilst at
RACS I’ve helped draft submissions, conducted legal search, sat
in on pre-lodgement advice sessions, done statement read backs
and worked with 30+ Tamil clients simultaneously delivering
group advice scripts at Auburn Outreach! These opportunities
to extend yourself are especially available if you can speak
another language. As a student volunteer I’ve worked at both
our Outreach centres, at our clinic advice nights at UTS and the
Randwick office! Through that process I’ve gotten to know the
most welcoming team of lawyers and fellow volunteers. When
I was at Randwick twice a week, all the volunteers would get
lunch together and sit in a big circle and chat or get drinks after
work! The lawyers have also always been genuinely kind and
welcoming, willing to answer questions and have even helped me
with information for an assignment. It’s the perfect environment to
meet amazing people and do genuinely engaging work. It’s not an
overstatement to say my time at RACS has been transformative;
it’s truly changed my worldview and future career path!”
Subeta Vimalarajah – University of Sydney - Legal Volunteer
“I’ve had the pleasure of volunteering with RACS since the end
of 2015 at both the head office and outreach services. I assist
lawyers with a variety of tasks ranging from administrative
tasks to assisting with country of origin research. Every day
is new and challenging, but always rewarding. I have learnt
so much in my time at RACS about the Australian legal
framework, about working with vulnerable clients and about
the importance of the work that is done at RACS. Whether it is
talking on the phone to clients or receiving the exciting news
of a visa grant, the work that RACS does is invaluable.”
Ruby Wawn – University of Technology, Sydney – Legal Volunteer
“Volunteering at RACS opened my eyes to the best and the
worst of the world. On the one hand, the clients that RACS
helps can be traumatised, confused and vulnerable. They seek
RACS’ help to navigate a legal framework that is designed for
their failure. Yet I am constantly amazed and inspired by their
courage and resilience, and by the unwavering commitment
of everyone at RACS—from the Executive Director down to
the volunteers. Volunteering at RACS feels like being part of
a family—something I have never experienced in volunteering
at other legal centres. The amount that RACS manages
to do with such limited resources is a testament to the
dedication and passion of each member of its family.”
Dominic Wilcox – University of Sydney – Legal Volunteer
“My internship with RACS was very rewarding. The opportunity
to work in multiple facets was beneficial in exposing me to the
full scope of a solicitor’s role. Everyone was extremely helpful
and assisted me with learning the law. The various assignments
I received increased my cultural and global competence in
allowing me to interact with clients and other trainees. These
assignments also exposed me to various aspects of the
protection visa process. Assignments included assisting with
weekly clinics, researching country information for submissions,
preparing client statements for visa applications as well as
preparing briefs for the judicial review project. Working with
RACS was an invaluable opportunity and contributed a wealth
of knowledge towards my maturation as an attorney.”
Anesha Parker - University of Santa Clara, School of Law, California
- Legal Intern
Volunteers for the Legal
Help for Refugees Clinic
Aarthi Sridharan
Aarti Gautam
Abarnaa Mahendran
Abdul Alizada
Abdul Karim Hekmat
Adam Abboud
Adam T Murphy
Aditya Gaur
Adrian Rook
Adrienne Jansen-Howard
Ahmad Khalil
Ahmad Reza Khedry
Ahmad Seddiq
Ahmed Naman
Ahmed Rahman
Ahsan Ali Khan
Akhgar Amena
Akhtar (Ozzie) Azhar
Alan Dadban
Alana Pike
Alex Horne
Alex Vaughan
Alexandra McCosker
Ali Ali
Ali Aziz
Ali High
Ali Honardost
Ali Merhab
Alia Saab
Alice Gardoll
Alice Winter-Irving
Alicia Wells
Alison Saunders
Alvina Hill
Amanda Underwood
Amelia Avery Williams
Amelia Carew-Reid
Amilee Myson
Amritha Thiyagarajan
Ana Pararajasingham
Anastasia Krivenkova
Andrea Carnuccio
Andrew Dickson
Andrew Wright
Angela Tan
Angelique Wanner
Anita Joseph
Anna Spies
Annabel Davis
Annas Nadeem
Anne Himmelreich
Annie Casper
Annie McCluskey
Anthea Burton
Antonella Barry
Antonina Pilat
Antonio Hernandez
Anwer Jabeen
Anzer Khan
Aparna Nanayakkara
Aravin Selvan
Arif Nabizadah
Arnjali Amara
Ashby Bueno
Atina Tavan
Aurora Pack
Awaz Ali Moradi
Ayesha Saeed
Babu Chokkappa
Barbara Guthrie
Bashir Hadafmand
Bashir Hamidi
Basireh Heidari
Batool Haidary
Behzad Hajari
Bei Wang
Ben Fisher
Ben Parkin
Ben Williams
Benjamin Goodyear
Bernard Khoshaba
Bernard Noel
Bill Gerogiannis
Brian Lee
Brian Moir
Bridie Norman
Brienna Anderson
Brindha Thiru
Britt Smith
Caitlin Whale
Carly Bower
Carmel Hanson
Caroline Dimond
Catherine Ding
Charlie Ralph
Charlotte Chompff
Charlotte Gjedsted
Charlotte Ng
Charlotte Saunders
Chitta Ranjan Mylvaganam
Chloe Johnco
Chris Chi Wong
Christine Asani
Christine Bourke
Christine Keogh
Christine Noel
Ciara Gaffney
Claire Burke
Claire Guilfoyle
Clementine Rendle
Coral Dixon
Dale Mundey
Daniel Garan
Daniel Vicano
Daniela Fazio
Dave McMillan
David Jones
David Kennedy
David McCredie
Debbie Anderson Lazarus
Debbie Xu
Deepak Shankar
Deshana Barua
Dharshi Harindra
Diana Tang
Dilini Withanage
Dinusha Wijesuriya
Dominic Eberl
Edwina Kwan
Edwina Tidmarsh
Elahe Rafiee
Elizabeth Bioik
Elsa Loekito
Elspeth Carruther
Emily Collett
Emily Hunter
Emily Klotz
Emily Rayner
Emma Macintosh
Emma Uptin
Enayatullah Jamal

32 Refugee Advice & Casework Service Annual Report 15/16 33
Enda O’Ceallachain
Erin Eckhoff
Erin Gavin
Esmat Javanmardan
Ewaz Ali
Ezatullah Salar
Faaris Khan
Faraidon Roshan
Farhad Hamidi
Farhang
Farrah Ghawani
Fatima Fayiz
Fatima Shafaie
Felipe Serra- Martins
Félix Delhomme
Fiona Chong
Fran Safa
Fran Warner
Freida Chan
Gabriel Lee
Gajan Ramesh
Garry Singh
Garth Roche
Gemma Lardner
Gemma Livingston
Gemma O’Meara
Genevieve Auld
Georgia Koulianos
Georgie Bright
Gheyath Mansoor
Gopiram Sriranganathaiyer
Grant Mason
Greg McKay
Hadi Khalili
Hala Saab
Hamish Collings-Begg
Hannah Brissenden
Hannah Duque
Hannah Gray
Haran Kanagasabai
Haren Pararajasingham
Harriet McCormick
Hashini Pandaitharatne
Hassan Shabagh
Heather Ng
Hedayat Osyan
Hee-Jung Kim
Hock Lim Ooi
Holly Quinn
Ibthal Ahmed
Ignatius Chacko
Indira Beqaj
Indu Sivakumar
Isobel McGarity
Jack Meng
Jacqueline Masterman
Jacqui Mitchell
Jahan Navidi
Jalal Razi
James De Szell
James Mack
James Moshides
James Sugumar
Jamshed Urfani
Jamshid Azra
Janet Li
Janette McLennan
Jannelle Gaggin
Jasmin Douglas
Jasmine Gharib
Jasmine Luczak
Jaya Adikari
Jennie Bian
Jennifer McCosker
Jennifer Toisuta
Jenny Toisuta
Jerome Doraisamy
Jess Harvie
Jessica Brent
Jessica Hay
Jessie Bodor
Jessie Cheng
Jey Thirukumar
Jill Carroll
Jillian Mitford-Burgess
Jimmy Li
Jing Zhang
Jiva Jivajirajah
Jo Sarolis
Joachim Delaney
Joanna Wilson
Joe Kennedy
John Anderson
Jonathan Bland
Jonathan Simpkins
Joshua Crook
Joshua Strutt
Joy Dynasty
Julia Catanzariti
Julia Sakr
Julian Fahrer
Julian Vido
Juliana Seiguerman
Justine Krajewski
Kanagasabai Vasan
Karen Moreira
Karla Hart
Karmen Gallegos
Kate Gauld
Kate Gillingham
Kate Juttner
Kate Renaud
Kathryn Schultz
Kathy Merrick
Kathy Zonnoorian
Kavita Naidu
Keerthana Parthiban
Keeth
Kelly Roberts
Ken Wong
Keyhan Farahmand
Kholoud Halabi
Kim Michelle
Kim Rowlands
Kim Wilson
Kimberly Soleymani
Kirsten Duncombe
Kirushna Hamshi
Ekamparam
Kumar Ratnakumar
Lachu Thevar
Lara Song
Laura Stockdale
Lauren Drake
Lauren Kirkwood
Lauren Miller
Lawrence Pathinather
Leanne Ho
Leanne Meyer
Lee Hill
Liam Burgess
Liam O’Brien
Linsdey Paget-Cooke
Lisa Kastropil
Louise Cantrill
Lucia Pante
Luckme Buvendra
Lucy Fiske
Luke Jacob
Lutfun Hossain
Madhavi Nair
Maheen Qazi
Mahmoud Yekteparast
Maissa Swellam
Marcel Delaney
Marco Nesbeth
Margaret Hetherton
Mari Webb
Maria Nawaz
Mariam Behsoodi
Mariam Nekoodast
Marion Gevers
Marjan Khajehei
Marlo Perry
Marwa Shaban
Mary Flanagan
Mary Mansfield
Mary O’Byrne
Matthew Algie
Matthew Butt
Matthew Byrnes
Matthew De Cataldo
Maureen Kingshott
Mayan Bouskila
Mehrvash Feraghat
Menna Popal
Methaq Alsalihe
Michael Simmons
Michael Brown
Michael Forgacs
Michael McCarthy
Michael McKee
Michael Thornton
Michelle Xu
Mikaila O’Brien
Miles Tuckfield
Minji Jeong
Miran Hosny
Mohammad Qabba
Mohammad Raza
Mohra Ahmadzei
Mohsen Hussaini
Montanna Tassell
Moones Mansoubi
Muhammad Sukhera
Musood Darwish
Nada Obaidy
Nadarajah Kanabathy
Nagaratnam Sangaralingam
Nahid Ahmadi
Naimah Azra
Nalini Parwati Gopal
Namatullah Kadrie
Nandini Uthayan
Nargis Ammarzadah
Narthana Parthiban
Nasratullah Angury
Natalie Brunton
Nathan Kennedy
Neeraja Sanmuhanathan
Neville Thiru
Nicholas Kraegen
Nicholas Simone
Nicola Cannon
Nicola Cosgrove
Nicola Targett
Nicole Flemming Rev.
Nicole Woods
Nina Abbey
Nisar Ali
Noorulhaq Abdul Mutalib
Norm Lee
Norma Diaz
Nour Aslalemi
Olivia Rousett
Otis David
Oula Nader
Paheer Paheerathan
Paige Livingston
Pallavi Sinha
Parisa Hart
Parisa Parto
Patricia Kam
Paul Forbes
Pavithra Vigneswaran
Pegah Ghayebi
Persia Navidi
Peter De Jonge
Philippa Macaskill
Philippa Macintosh
Philip Saggers
Posy McGrane
Qasim Rafool
Rachael Miles
Rachel Anderson
Rachel Swift
Rachel Tyson
Rahela Waseeq
Ramsha Sulaman
Ray Giblett
Razia Ebrahimi
Rebecca Leabeater
Rebecca Carr
Rebecca Dominguez
Rebecca George
Rebecca Griffiths
Rebecca Silberberg
Rebekah Lam
Rebekah Stevens
Rekas
Rekha Dhanaram
Reza Rayan
Rhiannon Dimitri
Richard Gough
Rimmika Shankar
Riona Moodley
Riza Wakil
Robert Gough
Rohan Philip
Rohini Vimalarajah
Roscoe Falkard
Rose Khalilizadeh
Rosemary Bullmore
Rosie Mathlin
Rozita Hassani Serkani
Ruben Chandramohan
Ruimin Gao
Ruth Da Silva
Sai Srinivasan
Sajeed Rahman
Sally Carter
Sally Shrubb
Sally Torman
Sandra Huckerby
Sanil Khatri
Sanjita Roy
Sapna Mantena
Sarah Brown

34 Refugee Advice & Casework Service Annual Report 15/16 35
Sarah Schwartz
Saras Brooks
Sayed Hashemi
Scott Sherwen
Sediqa Karimi
Selva Ganesalingam
Selvarani Kala
Shahid Hussain
Shalini Janaki
Shamili Kugathas
Sharly Mesbahamin
Shawkat Ali
Sheila Newman
Sheri Enkeshafi
Sherry Khalili
Shikeba Fayazi
Shiranee Pararajasingham
Shukufa Tahiri
Siavash Manouchehrpour
Sivananthan (John)
Yoganathan
Skye Webb
Sneha Yamunarajan
Sohaila Hussaini
Sonia Ali
Sophie Swart
Sora Yu
Subendra Vimalarajah
Sue Whitehead
Sujan Selven
Sulaksha Sutheskumar
Sulochana Bhaskaran
Sun Qi
Susan Meyer
Susan Winfield
Suzie Wnukowska-Mtonga
Suzy Whitty
Tali Rubinstein
Tamara Dawood
Tameka MacKenzie
Tamina Mehraby
Tammy Umasaran
Tani Bakeerathan
Tanya Amarasingham
Terri Hirbod-Bassi
Thamotherampillai
Gangatharan
Theresa Beshai
Thilukshan Jayamohan
Thiru Vykunthan
Thomas Byrne
Tom Brennan
Tooba Anwar
Trieu Leculier
Ulaganayaki (Ula)
Sangaralingam
Uthayan Kanagasabai
Vanessa McGlynn
Vanessa Porter
Victoria Rosenthal
Viji Dhayanathan
Viki Bala
Violeta Torbarac
Viroshan Poologasundram
Vivek Shah
Vivi Yangyang
Vivian Escudero
Wali Fayazi
Wali Tahiri
Warwick Andersen
Xing He
Yasina Azimi
Yasir Talib
Yolanda D’Aquino
Zahwat Hoballah
Zaki Haidari
Zamin Ali Hamidi
Student Volunteers and
Practical Legal Trainees
Abinajah Yogarajah
Aish Naidu
Albert Qiu
Ali Eisen
Amanda Hall
Amanda Page
Ammy Singh
Anesha Parker
Anna Lochhead
Anusha Bascaran
Ashley Gladwish
Beatriz Linsao
Ben Hughes
Bhavika Bhagat
Biljana Sopkova
Brodie Purdon
Carmel Hanson
Carmen Just
Carmen Moodley
Carrie Hou
Catherine Holbeche
Chandrika Windsor
Claudia Dagher
Damchoe Kunchok
Danielle Munro
David Pearce
Deshana Barua
Dez Nedim
Divya Venkataraman
Dominic Wilcox
Edison Wang
Eleanor Tjondro
Ellen Southwood
Emily Hong
Emma Holloway
Emma Liang
Emma Phipps
Erin Cooney
Ezgi Celik
Farrah Ghanawi
Fran Safa
Genevieve Howe
Giles Fryer
Grace Di Giorgio
Grace Smith
Hannah Wilkins
Harry Power
Hermione Xing
Jaimee Varghese
James Wookey
Janet Li
Jarren Gonzales
Jenny Huynh
Jeremy Dang
Jess Clarke
Jessica Hay
Jia Xiao
Jimil Amiri
Jodie Carseldine
Jon Kindreich
Joseph Abi-Hanna
Karen Goes
Kathy Tran
Katie Green
Kirsty Anantharajah
Kristy Lee
Lily Jones
Linda Campbell
Lucia Pante
Lucy Connop
Lucy Forbes
Lucy Jordan
Lucy Sullivan
Mariam Hammoudy
Melissa Lobo
Michelle Foley
Minna Zhang
Nadine Darling
Oliver Moore
Oliver Nicholas
Othman Al Bahri
Paul Bonjour
Phoebe Wang
Rachael Barwick
Rachel Hay
Rebecca Byrne
Reshma Zachariah
Reuben Hernandez
Richard Milne
Rohini Vimalarajah
Rozita Hassaniserkani
Ruba Saboor
Ruby Lew
Ruby Wawn
Sahana Navaratnam
Sam Nov
Sandy Al-Aweik
Sean Loughland
Sheree Marteene
Sophie Hess
Sora Yu
Steven Turner
Subeta Vimalarajah
Sue Whitehead
Sula Diyabalanage
Tahmyna Rad
Tamsin Janu
Tara Imrie
Tara Shenoy
Teddy Mulders
Tu Le
Udit Pillay
Will De Waal
William Laksana
Yenee Saw
Zenie Trinh
Fundraising and Events
Volunteers
Abed Al Zireg
Abraham Ajok
Anna Glen
Ashley Gladwish
Bernard McAuley
Bianca Torossian
Bridget Bryan
Cameron Marchant
Carmen Moodley
Debby Xu
Diana Montgomery
Eda Ince
Eliza Wyvill
Erin Cooney
Felipe Serra-Marins
Georgia Plummer-Quinn
Hugo Attkinson
Jesse Secomb
Jocelyn McGarity
Jonathan Hall-Spence
Julie Roughley
Karen Leung
Louise Lin
Louise Williams
Marie -Ellen Karykis
Marie Laurie
Meg Dacre
Melanie Morrison
Nadine Koroleva
Nicole Genocchio
Richard Milne
Executive Assistant
Volunteer
Erin Cooney
Mural Artist
Giles Fryer
Parramatta outreach
Volunteer
Claudia Graham
Thank you to the following
organisations for working
with RACS this year:
• The Saturday Paper
• The Monthly
• Good Foundations
• NonProfitAlliance
• Holler
Thank you to our debrief
session facilitators:
• Robyn Bradey
• Glenn Dennett
Thanks also to our
auditor, Paul Reid, for his
assistance.

36 Refugee Advice & Casework Service Annual Report 15/16 37
Strategic partners
AUBURN CITY COUNCIL
Many Cultures One Community
UTS
The neilson foundation
The scully fund the chill foundation hicksons lawyers
Significant donors
Emma Adams
Kerryn Agnew
E.Mary Barker
Blue Mountains Refugee
Support Group
Michele Beslich
Melissa Brooks
Paul Carrick
David Chan
Therese Cochrane
Damian Collins
Claudia Graham
Yoram and Sandra Gross
Michael Hogan
Andrew Kaldor
Janet Manuell
Hannah Marsh
Michael Mclean
Kate Mills
Lachlan Murdoch
Matt Ottley
Ralph Pliner
Malcolm Ramsay
Margaret Robertson
Colin Roden
Vinayak Sasitharan
Phillip Smithers
Andrew Tingley
Davin Turner
Ellyse Turner
Sally Varnham
Hal Wootten
Richard Zoeller

A year in Review
The RACS team helped
5220 people over fy15-16
Financial Report 2015/16
7414 advice sessions
• 3109 Telephone Advice Sessions
• 4305 Face to Face Sessions
• 1154 clients representeD
12668 client
interactions
Projects
No. of Unique No. of Unique
Pieces of Advice Clients
Auburn Outreach 2693 1683
Parramatta Outreach 1343 928
RACS / ASC Legal Service 908 282
Family Reunion 244 141
Detention 420 206
5214 people from 89 different countries
6 were stateless

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Glossary & Acronyms
AAT – Administrative Appeals Tribunal
ASC – Asylum Seekers Centre
CLC – Community Legal Centre
DIBP – Department of Immigration and Border Protection
FOI – Freedom of Information
IAA - Immigration Assessment Authority
IAAAS – Immigration Advice and Application Assistance Scheme
J4R – Justice For Refugees (Judicial Review Referral Service)
JRS – Jesuit Refugee Service
LGBTIQ – term used to described members of lesbian, gay,
bisexual, transgender, intersex and queer community.
PAIS – Primary Application Information Service
PV – Protection Visa
RACS – Refugee Advice and Casework Service
SHEV – Safe Haven Enterprise Visa
SRSS – Status Resolution Support Services
SSI – Settlement Services International
TPV – Temporary Protection Visa

www.racs.org.au