As the pandemic tightens its grip it is clear that thousands of temporary visa holders, including people seeking protection, are suffering deeply and need our help.

After arriving in Australia seeking protection with his wife and 7 year old daughter in 2019, Niraj was thrilled to get a job at a restaurant in regional NSW and his family moved there to start a new chapter. Then on 25 March 2020 he was told the restaurant was closing and he would no longer have work. On 31 March their rent of $350 was due, but they only had $40 in savings and couldn’t pay it. Now Niraj doesn’t know where his family can go next and is hoping his landlord will delay the rental payment to give him time to find a new job or lend some money.

There are hundreds of thousands of others like Niraj in the Australian community who are losing their jobs. They don’t have access to a financial safety net or Medicare. Many cannot return home. 

People like Niraj and his family live in our neighborhoods, work in our restaurants and factories, pray in our churches, synagogues and mosques, study in our schools and universities and pay tax.

We cannot not leave them homeless, hungry, and sick. Protection from this virus for all of us, demands we all have access to the protection of a safe home, a safety net and Medicare. Either we are all protected or we are all vulnerable – that’s the nature of a pandemic.

We call on the Federal and State governments to extend a vital safety net - financial support, Medicare, and adequate shelter - to everyone in need within the Australian community, regardless of their visa status, during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The only way we will make it through this pandemic is to ensure every single woman, child, and man living in our community has the protection they need. Together, we call for everyone in our community, including people seeking protection, to have access to a safety net, Medicare, and shelter during this frightening time. 

My health depends on your health and all of those in the community, sign this petition to call on the government to make sure we can protect each other today. We will beat this pandemic if we ensure no one is left behind. We are a wealthy nation and a compassionate, smart community – we can do this together.

Please note that the "Promote the Petition" tab on this page solicits donations for Change.org. The most powerful way you can support the movement is to share the petition widely and donate money separately to one of the many charities around the country supporting temporary migrants and people seeking protection.