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Immigration Daily News Save lives with your skills. Pro bono work is now more important
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Save lives with your skills. Pro bono work is now more important
Public opinion on Morrison’s axing of the IAAAs funding scheme seems to support the Minister’s decision despite criticism from refugee advocates, according to some opinions posted on the ABC online website. However, the public support is not for reasons stated by Morrison, but rather, the call is for lawyers and agents alike to step-up and offer pro-bono services to people in need.
The Migration Alliance believes that professional advice must be made accessible to all regardless of their ability to afford such services. The MA accepts that it is part of an RMAs moral and professional responsibility to assist those in the community who are unable to obtain legal aid or otherwise afford professional migration advice. The axing of the IAAS funding makes this all the more important.
One of the best ways of encouraging pro bono work is to recognise it. For this reason, the Migration Alliance applied for and has been approved as an Authorised Voluntary Organisation for the purposes of CPD. This is to encourage MA members to provide pro bono services and get due recognition for the time members spend on providing these services."
Under the arrangements with the office of the MARA, MA members are eligible to claim 1 migration CPD point for every 3 hours of Pro Bono work. In the next few weeks Migration Alliance will be launching its first Immigration Clinic in Auburn, NSW at the Auburn Community Centre. Details will be announced soon. RMAs are encouraged to register for this event by contacting us on This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . The MA is investigating ways it can expand on its pro bono services and invites suggestion from members.
The migration advisory industry is a high-profile industry largely due to the critical role immigration plays, at any level, to swing votes. However, the MA believes it is important that the most vulnerable people are assisted and have access to professional migration advice, regardless of which way the political pendulum on the matter swings.
Comments
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Tuesday, 01 April 2014I suggest that it be clarified well to all that the PRO BONO is only for the boat people. As we have been working hard to educate communities to pay consultation fees to raise the profile of this profession and I don't want this pro bono initiative for boat people to be mixed with and raise an expectation that all immigration advice is free. This will put us out of business and will lower our profile. If they had enough money to pay for a smuggler surely they can pay our consultation fees. I am not comfortable with this and wish the MA would reconsider the Auburn option.
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Tuesday, 01 April 2014
Eva
Migration agents get CPD points to give advice. It will not put anyone out of business. The advice is given at MA's discretion to people who really need it. Auburn is one area which is full of migrant groups who seriously need help and assistance. In fact you might get more work now that there is no more IAAAS. Believe me, if I know Liana well, she will not be sitting behind any strategy which would allow feeloaders who could otherwise afford to pay an RMA to use the free service. I think she will tell them to go find a RMA who is a member of MA! Having met Liana a few times, she is very pro-agent. Anything that will take business away from an agent or make their lives harder, Liana is likely to steer away from it. -
Tuesday, 01 April 2014
My morals and humanitarian heart has been doing pro boon services to people in need in my area regardless of recognition and I am more blessed with many fee paying clients come my way because word of mouth.
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Wednesday, 02 April 2014
I agree with pro bono for CPD recognition, But who will manage this process? What will be the select criteria which will need to be in place to essentially distinguish who is eligible or Not?
For example do people locked up in Australian jails not detention centres qualify? do over stayers with no money qualify ? Do abused destitute Partners on partner visa qualify ?
This could be a huge undertaken which a large department may need to be developed to approve eligibility and manage.
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If a RMA does pro bono work through a church or other charity, can we still get the above assistance from the Migration Alliance?