About Us...

The Assyrian Australian Association (AAA) is a community-based organisation established in 1969 to preserve the Assyrian culture and assist with the social engagement of Assyrians in Australian life.

The Assyrian Resource Centre was established by AAA in 1984 to provided for the settlement needs of the growing Assyrian community in the Fairfield and Liverpool areas. In recent years, we have catered to approximately 3,500 clients per year.

The Assyrians community numbers close to 20,000 in Sydney, most of whom have migrated to Australia from Iraq, Iran, Syria Lebanon and Turkey. During the 1980s and from the late 1990s onwards, there has been an increasing level of Christian Assyrian migration to Australia under the family reunion, refugee and humanitarian programmes.

The Federal Department of Immigration and Multicultural Affairs (DIMA) provides the major portion of funding to enable the AAA to operate the Centre to meet the support and settlement needs of the Assyrian population in Sydney.

AIM

To increase social mobility of Assyrian community members in Sydney by provision of access to support services that meet their settlement and social engagement needs.

OBJECTIVES

• Address the settlement needs of Assyrian migrant, refugee and humanitarian entrants through direct services.
• Develop and enhance case management of service provision to clients.
• Increase social, educational and support network with youth, seniors and women to reduce social, cultural and physical isolation.
• Lobby government agencies and mainstream service providers to implement equity strategies to enable access by Assyrians.
• Provide ongoing information, support, training and skills development to members of the Assyrian community in Fairfield and South Western Sydney areas.
• Promote the services of the Assyrian Resource Centre and provide information to the Assyrian community through Assyrian media outlets.

WHAT WE DO

The Assyrian Resource Centre has Open Days on Mondays and Wednesdays, 9:00 am to 5:00 pm, where Assyrians can access support without prior referral or appointment. On other days, contact is by appointment only. Assyrians can self-refer or an agency can make referral on their behalf.

We provide information and referral, assistance with form filling, immigration advice, direct support work, case management, educational groups and community development programmes. We run groups for senior citizens, women and other focus groups throughout the year.

Our clients are predominantly new arrivals (migrant, refugee and humanitarian entrants) who have been in Australia between 6 months and 5 years. We also provide assistance to Assyrian youth in general who are at risk or are disconnected from their community.

We advocate for the Assyrian Community and are members of the Assyrian Workers’ Network.