Tara Murray
Nearly 19,000 refugees and asylum seekers on temporary visas will lose their jobs because of the current economic downturn caused by the COVID-19 pandemic according to a new report.
The report released by the Refugee Council of Australia said the pandemic had led to increased unemployment, underemployment and financial stress for many Australians.
“Because many refugees and asylum seekers are employed in low-income and insecure jobs, they are particularly vulnerable to the effects of a recession,” the report said.
“Unemployment rates among bridging, safe haven enterprise and temporary protection visa holders are projected to rise from approximately 19.3 per cent to 41.8 per cent.
“For those that remain employed, weekly wages could fall by an average of $90 per week, with 92 per cent of workers earning less than the minimum wage.”
The report said that refugees and asylum seekers who become unemployed and live below the poverty line, are at higher risk of poor health and homelessness, along with increased hospital admissions for mental health conditions, heart attack or stroke, injury and drug overdose, self-harm and other socioeconomic factors.
Higher unemployment levels are expected to lead to increased demand on the public health system that is projected to cost state and territory governments an additional $23.4 million per year.
