AUCKLAND REFUGEE COUNCIL (INC)

HOSTEL REPORT

From July 2010 to June 2011

The Auckland Refugee Council have completed 5 years of operation providing Emergency Housing for asylum seekers. Changes in the political climate are illustrated in the countries from which we now receive asylum seekers.

RESIDENTS:

While most of our residents do receive a Work Visa there are still a few who remain with no Visa and no Benefit. Others have had to wait 6 months to receive their Visa. We ask people to leave after they have been receiving a benefit for 3 to 4 months or after six months at the hostel whichever is the sooner. Refugee applicants from North Africa have appeared more recently as well as people from Eastern Europe and Asia.

At the end of July 2011 two of our long stayers were asked to leave. ARCI found and paid for alternative accommodation - not easy when a person has no Immigration Visa.One of the concerns was that with a growing number of people without Visas ARCI was unable to accommodate those newly arrived asylum seekers who need urgent initial support. In 2010 ARCI began to pay for accommodation for those we were unable to lodge at the hostel. In June 2011 ARCI's application to increase our resource numbers at the hostel was granted. However, this came with an understanding that people stayed no longer than 12 months.

ARCI were asked by MSD and FAT to accommodate a family of two adults and four children fleeing Libya. Although former residents of New Zealand they had had to flee Libya and had nowhere to go. ARCI were happy to oblige for a short temporary stay of 6 weeks but have not included them in our statistics except for the graph showing the numbers of men women and children resident at the hostel.

Asylum Countries:

Asylum Decisions

Those successful hostel residents have left either to go to our Holly St. units or on to a State House or Private Accommodation. Approvals at RSB level have only been gained by one person. Others, an older man from Afghanistan and a family of Turkish Kurds won approval at appeal. Three people are undergoing their 2nd or 3rd claim two of which are at RSB level and another at Appeal. The two declined clients have left the hostel and we believe returned to their country voluntarily.

Work Permits for Hostel Residents:

ARCI continues to take care of those without permits and for some who are going through 2nd and 3rd claims this can be costly. This is especially so for the clients who have been asked to leave but who we still support.

Incoming rent has dipped this year although we have begun to see a rise in May and June. During the 2010 2011 period we have had a number of people without visas for a number of months. However, in May we received new arrivals who were given visas very quickly - possibly due to being unaccompanied minors or a solo mother.

Length of Stay at Hostel:

Of those who have a work visa and whose application for refugee status has been successful their time at the hostel is usually less than six months. At the other end of the scale we have until recently had 3 people without a permit staying 3 - 4 years. For two of these people alternative arrangements have been made in order to make space for new arrivals. Two others who also had a lengthy stay have also now left the hostel. Currently we have one long stayer but most are within the mid-range. Those claimants who fail at the RSB level are sometimes reluctant to move. However, the new Immigration Act of 2009 allows a work visa to remain valid until the time of departure from the country. There is still the problem of people who have never received a visa. However, ARCI now advise all those arriving that they will be asked to leave after six months even if they do not have a visa. This is difficult but we believe by forewarning our clients they will make an effort to come to an arrangement with their community or friends.

Our current residents are divided into two groups - those who arrived within 8 months and those who have been with us 2 - 3 years. It can be seen that granting a work permit makes a considerable difference in the turn over at the hostel.

Children at the Hostel:

Auckland Refugee Council continues to be a CYFS Provider and an audit this year showed that we reached all the required criteria. We strive to maintain the strict guidelines of CYFS and to educate our clients who are usually unaware of our society's child rearing principles.

This year we have had 5 children as well as five teenagers - two of them unaccompanied minors. More children have resided at our Holly St. Units. The presence of children obviously presents a different dynamic at the hostel.

Men, Women and Young Children at Hostel:

As last year the chart above shows that there are more men at the hostel than women. Two solo mothers resided at the hostel each with one child, another family had one child and were expecting another. In March a Libyan family arrived with 4 children. Currently we have two unaccompanied minors attending Avondale College and a solo mother with an 18 month old. One of our solo mothers has now found a home in the private sector.

*Note the Libyan family who were refugees from their land but not asylum seekers have not been included in the statistics except for the above graph for March and April.

BUDGET, COSTS AND REVENUE
Expenses:
The year to date expenses according to the Hostel Profit and Loss Account amounts to $80,592. This includes the cost of our hostel assistant as well as a proportion of the Executive Officer's salary. It also includes a sum of $15,000 which was allocated to accommodate new arrivals in the private sector when our hostel was full. This is double that of last year. The cost of food and other items has also increased quite dramatically.

This is a vastly different allocation from last year as the cost of operating the hostel has increased by 7%. Also in the mix are the Holly St. Units. The Warnock St. expenses have reduced by 18%.

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