Who we are

Who we are

Welcome to the Refugee Claimants Support Service in Brisbane, Australia.

The Refugee Claimant Support Service was originally established as an independent not-for profit community group in 1995 with a grant from the Sisters of the Good Shepherd. Our purpose was, and still is, to provide critical support to refugee claimants (or, asylum seekers) in the often extended period before their applications for protection are finally determined by the Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC).

The service is now operating as a program of Lifeline Brisbane’s Social Inclusion and Community Connection team. Whilst the Service receives no ongoing funding from either Federal or State Governments, we continue to receive ongoing support from the Sisters of the Good Shepherd as well as, financial and non-financial support from other sources, notably: the Sisters of Mercy, Brisbane City Council, Franciscan Sisters, The Buderim Buddies, the Queensland Gaming Machine Benefit Fund, the West End community, the Friends of Edmund, Wesley City Mission, Multicultural Affairs Queensland, our very much valued volunteers, and some individual community members, not to mention the refugee claimants themselves.

The Service works collaboratively with, and receives support from other community organisations who work with refugees and refugee claimants. These agencies are too numerous to list, but they include: Refugee and Immigration Legal Service (RAILS), Communify, Refugee Health Qld., The Romero Centre, Queensland Program of Assistance to Survivors of Torture and Trauma (QPASTT), Australian Red Cross (Qld), Amnesty International, Centre for Multicultural Pastoral Care, Anglican Refugee and Migrant Ministry, St Vincent de Paul and the Uniting Care Qld. Centre for Social Justice.