-->

Human Rights Day 2025

CARAD was privileged to be invited to speak at last week's Human Rights Day event hosted by the United Nations Association of Australia (WA) and Amnesty International UWA.

Our colleague Ehsan Nazamyar generously shared his personal journey - from his early life in Afghanistan, through conflict and displacement, to finding a new beginning in Australia. It was a meaningful opportunity to speak openly about the experiences that drive our work and the profound fulfilment that comes from supporting CARAD clients seeking asylum in WA.

We were grateful to share the panel with Dr. Barbara Nattabi, Dr Fiona McGaughey, Gracia Mukiibi and our own Catherine Green, CARAD's Deputy Chairperson. The conversations highlighted the crucial role that empathy and understanding play in building inclusive communities here in WA.

Thank you to the organisers, volunteers, and everyone who attended - CARAD is grateful to have been part of such an important evening.

To request a CARAD representative to present at your next event please reach out to Office@carad.org.au .

Join CARAD's Legacy Circle

Leaving a gift in your Will is a generous way you can support the Centre for Asylum Seekers, Refugees and Detainees (CARAD) and the work it does. The power of a legacy gift to CARAD enables your values, your kindness and your belief in human dignity to continue long into the future, touching the lives of those seeking asylum who you may never meet but whose futures you've helped transform.

When you include a gift to CARAD in your Will, you're creating a lasting legacy of compassion that helps people seeking asylum in Western Australia access the support they need most.

Learn how your legacy could make a difference for generations to come in the information pack below.

CARAD Meets with United Nations Working Group

CARAD was deeply honoured to welcome the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention during their 12-day visit to Australia last week. Our discussions focused on critical concerns affecting clients in Western Australia's immigration detention facilities, including degrading treatment, inadequate healthcare, the use of physical and chemical restraints, deportations, and third-country transfers to Nauru. We affirmed our support for the recommendations in 'Immigration Detention in Australia: Civil Society Submission to the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention', and our colleagues Associate Professor Mary Anne Kenny and Syaz Daud shared their valuable insights.

We were grateful to be joined by Associate Professor Hannah McGlade and Chloe Wood, who shared the harrowing experiences of Aboriginal children, women and men in police, detention and prison custody. We are grateful for this opportunity to amplify the voices of those seeking safety and advocate for the human rights and dignity of all people seeking asylum in Australia.

Thank you to Dr. Matthew Gillett, Vice Chair of the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, and Clara Garcia Orozco, Human Rights Officer at the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, for their important work upholding human rights standards worldwide.

CARAD has moved!

CARAD has moved - we are no longer at 245 Stirling St

After almost 20 years at 245 Stirling Street, the Centre for Asylum Seekers, Refugees and Detainees has moved.

From Monday 20th October, you can find us at our temporary new homes, while we continue our search for our permanent home.

You can find us at Unit T3, 152 Great Eastern Highway, Ascot on Mondays to Fridays from 9am to 4pm.

Our temporary food pantry located at 43-45 Star St (corner Archer St), Carlisle, from 10am to 3pm on Mondays and Thursdays only.

We thank you for your ongoing support of CARAD.

If you know of any available spaces that might suit our needs, we’d love to hear from you. Our key requirements for a permanent place that is located in a central and accessible location (e.g. Perth, Victoria Park) for us to purchase includes:

  • A welcoming client meeting area

  • Plenty of room for the CARAD pantry

  • Office space for our amazing staff and volunteers

  • Close to public transport

  • Bonus points for car bays! 

We know how much our current location is valued by clients, volunteers, and staff for its accessibility and proximity to the city, public transport and a range of other services. Ideally, our new home will retain these benefits. So, if you know of any places, we are keen to hear from you. Get in touch by emailing us at office@carad.org.au.

CARAD is moving

A New Home for CARAD

The Centre for Asylum Seekers, Refugees and Detainees (CARAD) has some important news to share.
 
As we commemorate our 25th anniversary in 2025, the time has come for CARAD to find a new home.
 
Our office at 245 Stirling Street in Perth is no longer suitable for delivering on CARAD’s mission of creating a more welcoming Australia for people seeking asylum, refugees, and detainees. We are incredibly grateful to the Uniting Church in the City (UCIC) for their generous support over the years in allowing us to lease the building at a nominal rent.
 
However, the building is now in need of significant repairs, and our services—and the needs of our clients—have grown. This presents us with an opportunity to find a space that better meets the increasing demand for our vital work. If you’ve visited our office, you’ll know that a larger space will make a real difference in the support we can offer.
 
We will be closing our office on Stirling St on Wednesday 15th October 2025. CARAD will reopen at a new temporary location on Monday 20th October 2025 while we search for a permanent home that better supports our work.
 
From that date, you’ll find us at:
 
Temporary office:

  • Unit T3, 152 Great Eastern Highway, Ascot

Opening hours: 9am to 4pm, Monday to Friday
 
Temporary CARAD Pantry :

  • 43-45 Star Street, Carlisle (corner of Archer Street)

Opening hours for receiving donated food and hygiene items only: 10am to 3pm Monday and Thursday only.
 
Although we are moving location, all our emails and phone numbers will stay the same. CARAD will continue to provide the best service we can to our clients.
 
We’re also reaching out to our community—and beyond—for help. If you know of any available spaces that might suit our needs, we’d love to hear from you. Our key requirements for a permanent place that is located in a central and accessible location (e.g. Perth, Victoria Park) for us to purchase includes:

  • A welcoming client meeting area

  • Plenty of room for the CARAD pantry

  • Office space for our amazing staff and volunteers

  • Close to public transport

  • Bonus points for car bays! 

We know how much our current location is valued by clients, volunteers, and staff for its accessibility and proximity to the city, public transport and a range of other services. Ideally, our new home will retain these benefits. So, if you know of any places, we are keen to hear from you. Get in touch by emailing us at office@carad.org.au.
 
We understand that transitions like this can bring uncertainty and challenges. Please know that we are committed to keeping our community informed every step of the way. We’ll do everything we can to minimise disruption and ensure continuity of services for the people we support.
 
We are deeply grateful to all our supporters who are helping make this next chapter possible. If you have questions or would like more information about this process, please don’t hesitate to get in touch:

CARAD joins call opposing $400m Nauru deal

The Refugee Council of Australia has written to Parliamentarians to express opposition to the Home Affairs Legislation Amendment (2025 Measures No. 1) Bill 2025, introduced to Parliament last week.

If passed, this Bill would allow Australia to circumvent its own rules of natural justice and procedural fairness when deporting people from Australia to Nauru and other undisclosed third countries. 

CARAD joins the call urging Parliamentarians to oppose this Bill, and to find alternatives to this legislation and the arrangement with Nauru.

RCOA Letter to Parliamentarians

2025 Big Walk 4 Refugees

Throughout the month of June, everyone is invited to join the annual walk that symbolises the long, often invisible journeys of people displaced by conflict and crisis.

Here in Perth, Dr Siyat Abdi is walking for refugees on Saturday morning 28 June. He is also walking to raise funds for CARAD -the Centre for Ayslum Seekers, Refugees and Detainees.

He Invites you to walk with him and/or contribute to his CARAD Crowdraiser:

https://givenow.com.au/cr/bigwalk4refugees

When:   Saturday 28 June 2025 at 9am
Where:  Starting at Scarborough Beach Amphitheatre https://www.stirling.wa.gov.au/stirling-leisure/venue-and-facility-hire/scarborough-amphitheatre

Siyat will walk to City Beach and back (5 kms there and 5kms back.)  

You are welcome to join Siyat for the whole walk, or just part of it.

If you walk with Siyat, we will record your steps and add them to the Big Walk for Refugees, or you can register with the bigwalk4refugees and record your steps. To learn more visit www.bigwalk4refugees.au .

We would love to see our volunteers and supporters attend the walk! To learn more about this

 

Who is Dr Siyat Abdi

Dr Siyat Hillow Abdi is a Systemic Advocate for KIN Disability Advocacy and have been involved with supporting culturally and linguistically diverse people with disabilities from refugee and migrant backgrounds for over 25 years.

He has a PhD in Community Rehabilitation (Disability Studies) from Flinders University and has worked as a lecturer, policy researcher.  He was registered as the first blind teacher in South Australia. He is also an independent disability consultant for SAHILL DISABILITY CONSULTING and an advocate and Human Rights activist.

He is the author of  “The Journey and Voices of Refugees with Disabilities in the Dadaab Camps” and understands the difficulties and barriers faced by people with disability, migrants and refugee families when trying to navigate their way through difficult pathways, services and processes in their journey to integrate and settle in Australia.

Siyat is currently on various diversity groups and advisory committees here in Western Australia, including being a former member of Ministerial Advisory Council on Disability in WA 2022 to 2024.


Thank you for your support and we look forward to seeing you on the 28 June!

Job Opportunity - Case Workers

Do you have a passion for social justice and want to make a difference in the lives of people seeking asylum in Western Australia?

We are seeking experienced case workers to join our team.

At CARAD, we provide vital support services to people seeking asylum, refugees and detainees. This includes emergency relief, case work, material aid, food security, advocacy, and community programs.

Come join our team where you will bring your skills and experience to support highly vulnerable people from diverse backgrounds. We are seeking case workers who can provide trauma-informed, culturally competent and compassionate support to our clients, including women.

This role is a Level 5 position under the SCHADS Award, with salary packaging available.

There is more than one position available. We are seeking a total of 1.6 full time equivalent (FTE) case workers, with full time or part time roles considered. In addition, a pool of casual staff for occasional case work is being sought.

Applications close 22nd June.

For more details, visit the job posting on EthicalJobs here.

Refugee Week 2025

From Sunday 15 June to Saturday 21 June 2025, Australia will be celebrating Refugee Week!

Refugee Week provides an opportunity to celebrate the contributions, diversity and resilience of refugees and people seeking asylum. This time of the year offers the perfect moment to engage with the Centre of Asylum Seekers, Refugees & Detainees (CARAD)’s important work supporting refugees in our community. By raising awareness about the challenges people seeking asylum face — from navigating complex legal systems to accessing basic necessities and finding community connection — we can collectively create more welcoming spaces for those rebuilding their lives.

There are numerous ways to celebrate and support CARAD's mission during Refugee Week! Consider organising a fundraiser within your workplace, community group, or social circle to raise awareness and directly support CARAD's programs. Host a food drive collecting essential items for the CARAD pantry, helping ensure refugees have access to culturally appropriate food and household necessities. For a more personalised experience, you can request a CARAD representative to speak at your larger gathering by emailing here. These speakers bring knowledge and stories that can deepen the understanding of the challenges those seeking safety in Western Australia face and help inspire action among your colleagues, friends or community members.

Whether through financial support, food donations, or awareness-building, your involvement during Refugee Week creates meaningful impact for refugees and people seeking asylum who are trying to navigate new beginnings.

Refugee Week 2025 Events with CARAD

Saturday 21 June, 10am - 11am: Join us at Subiaco Library for a presentation by CARAD to discuss an overview of the current situation and challenges faced by those seeking asylum in Australia. We invite attendees to donate items for the CARAD Pantry. More information and registration can be found HERE.

CARAD Seeks A New Building

The Centre for Asylum Seekers, Refugees and Detainees (CARAD) commemorates its 25th anniversary this year. For most of this time, we have been based in the same location at 245 Stirling Street in Perth, a building that is owned by the Uniting Church in the City (UCIC) for which we pay nominal rent through a peppercorn lease arrangement. We are incredibly grateful to UCIC for their support over the years.

 UCIC have let us know that, as the building has aged and needs significant repairs, the time has come for us to consider a new home.

 This has presented us with an opportunity to find a place that can meet the growing demand for our much-needed services.

 We have recently commenced a project to assess our needs over the medium term, which includes exploring all options for a new home for CARAD. At the same time, we are also refreshing our strategic plan so that we can continue effectively supporting CARAD’s mission of providing a welcoming Australia to people seeking asylum, refugees and detainees.

 We are keen to hear from the community of any available space which might be suitable for our purposes. Our key requirements are a client meeting area, sufficient space for the CARAD Pantry, and office space for our dedicated team of staff and volunteers. Car bays would be a bonus!

 This project is a great opportunity to shape the future direction of our organisation and the services we provide.

 CARAD looks forward to an exciting new chapter as we begin this stage of growth. We are deeply grateful to all our supporters who are helping make our future home possible.

 If you have any ideas, we are keen to hear from you. Get in touch by emailing us today at office@carad.org.au.

CARAD, T3, 152 Great Eastern Highway, Ascot, WA, 6104, Australia08 9227 7322office@carad.org.au

ABN: 97481185842

CARAD acknowledges that we are located on the land of the Whadjuk Noongar people and pay our respect to their Elders, past and present. Sovereignty was never ceded, and this always was and always will be Aboriginal land.  We acknowledge the First Nations people of the Stolen Generations and their families. We stand in solidarity with the ongoing struggles of First Nations Peoples for justice.

Cart (0)