About us
Bridge for Asylum Seekers Inc (Bridge) is a not-for-profit association seeking to prevent destitution and homelessness among people seeking asylum who live in greater Sydney/NSW.
Bridge is managed by a volunteer management committee which raises and distributes the funds required to support asylum seekers in need, our clients. Over 95% of funds raised go directly to Bridge’s clients.
The financial support provided by Bridge takes the form of a living allowance and, where homelessness is a threat (which it is for 80% of clients), we also provide a rental allowance. Our living allowances cover essentials like food, clothing, pharmaceuticals, transport and phone costs with the latter two allowing people to seek employment and remain in contact with the Department of Home Affairs (DHA), legal representatives and caseworkers.
Since 2003 (Bridge’s inception) to end financial year 2020-21, Bridge has assisted 2523 asylum seekers, including 532 children. In 2020-21, Bridge supported 203 people of whom 56 were children.
Bridge is an independent charity registered with the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC). Bridge is endorsed by the Australian Taxation Office as a Deductible Gift Recipient (DGR) and has received Charity Tax Concession status. This means that all donations over $2 are tax deductible and that donation and grant income is not taxable. Current details for ABN 18 494 407 210 | ABN Lookup (business.gov.au).
About those supported
All those supported by Bridge are people who have fled their home countries. They are represented by reputable lawyers and have either applied for protection in Australia or are in the process of so doing. Before receiving our support, their financial situation will have been reviewed to show insufficient funds to survive.
With people from so many countries being subjected to persecution, human rights abuses and torture, it is not surprising that our clients come from most parts of the world. Our clients have come from over 34 countries in Central and South America, northern and sub-Saharan Africa, Russia and post Soviet states, the Middle East, Oceania, and South, South East and East Asia.
Management committee members
Janet Castle (Chair)
Rebecca Ding (Treasurer)
Felicia Tesoriero (Secretary)
Brent Sheridan (General committee member)
Janice Thompson (General committee member)
Bridge has always been run by volunteers.
Bridge: our foundation story
In the early 2000s, Virginia Walker started to visit asylum seekers in Villawood Immigration Detention Centre (VIDC), Sydney. She started to learn of the financial difficulties many had once outside detention. Two examples:
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a Shia Kuwaiti man, let’s call him SK. After meeting Virginia, SK was transferred by Immigration to Western Australia. However, SK’s migration lawyer was in Sydney and he needed to visit Sydney for a lawyer’s interview. Immigration paid for SK’s return plane fare but gave him nothing for expenses. He arrived at Sydney airport penniless with no place to stay. He rang Virginia and she invited SK to stay with her and supported him financially.
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a man learned he was to be released the next day from VIDC. He had no place to stay, no money, no friends, no work rights, no Centrelink support. Virginia found and paid for cheap daily accommodation but the man and all his worldly goods had to be out of the room by the early morning and could not return until late afternoon. Clearly this was both unsuitable and expensive.