Key Points
- A new report sheds light on how the cost of living crisis is exacerbated for some groups.
- The Scanlon Foundation Research Institute's report also found one in 10 people are skipping meals.
- Fewer people feel like they belong and feel a sense of pride in the Australian way of life.
It’s a difficult moment for Melbourne father Sulaiman Anwarzai whenever loved ones call from overseas.
Not only is Anwarzai supporting his young family in Australia on a low income, he’s also financially helping the family he left behind in Afghanistan to survive.
“It is hard - we can’t do this on a regular basis, because you know, it's difficult,” he told SBS News, referring to the remittances.
Anwarzai arrived in Australia less than two years ago with his wife and three children, after the Taliban took over his home country.
He left behind his parents and siblings, whom he says are struggling under a dire humanitarian crisis the country has been plunged into following the militant group’s rise to power.
With millions without enough food in Afghanistan and unemployment high, Anwarzai feels the burden of responsibility and doesn't want to leave his family destitute.
Australians are also less happy than they used to be, according to the data. Credit: SBS News
But he is relying on Centrelink payments, and with food and rent becoming more expensive, the conversations with family are getting more difficult.
“When we get the amount from the Centrelink, we need to manage for the rent and for the gas, other bills that we need to pay,” he said.
“We rarely are able to send some amounts to Afghanistan.”
'You don't live for yourself'
A new report from the Scanlon Foundation Research Institute has shed light on this added struggle culturally diverse communities face on top of the cost of living crisis.
In interviews it conducted for its annual report into social cohesion, released on Wednesday, it found many people are supporting loved ones overseas on top of facing financial stress.
There are fewer people than before who feel like they belong in Australia. Credit: SBS News
“Everyone is supporting this family, sending back money home to maybe refugees who they left behind. All these things make their life harder here because the money they get is shared between their family and them. The people are struggling.”
Another described the burden of responsibility they face amid soaring costs in Australia.
“Every three months I send some money to (my parents). Not too much, but just to survive. But now I can’t send that much.”
Community leaders say it’s an ongoing issue they see first-hand.
Bassir Qadiri says his Victorian charity Bakhtar Community Organisation is overwhelmed by the number of refugees asking for food packs, with the number of families seeking help jumping three-fold in the past six months.
“The demand is increasing; the situation’s getting more severe day by day,” he told SBS News.
Qadiri says a single mother of five children came to his organisation recently in tears asking for help, with most of her income being taken by rent and bills.
“She has a family to support overseas but she doesn't have any money to support them,” he said.
The Scanlon report’s lead researcher James O'Donnell said many of the people interviewed for the report said they were sending money overseas to help family.
“Times are tough, you know, for family, and loved ones back in their countries from where they moved from,” he said.
Some are forgoing meals and other necessities
One in 10 people surveyed in the report said they went without meals in the past year because they didn’t have enough money.
The number of those struggling financially or or just getting along, increased from around 34 per cent in 2020 to 41 per cent in 2022, O’Donnell said.
64% of adults aren't satisfied with their current financial situation. Source: SBS News
One person in the report described how a cup of tea would mean skipping something else.
“If I want to buy a cup of tea, you know, on the weekend, before I am thinking about that, I have to think about my money, so if I bought this cup of tea maybe next time I don’t have money for something.”
Fewer Australians feel like they belong, are less happy
The number of people who feel a sense of pride in the Australian way of life and culture continues to drop, while there are also fewer people than ever before who feel like they belong in Australia.
The report found that compared to the 77 per cent of people who “had a great sense of belonging in Australia” in 2007, that number is now at 52 per cent.
Credit: SBS News
Those were felt by young and older adults, overseas and Australian-born populations and those from higher and lower socioeconomic backgrounds.
“Where it is concerning is that people who are financially struggling, you know, are the least likely to have a sense of belonging in that and you know, for them that decline in belonging has been particularly strong,” O’Donnell said.
Discrimination and prejudice are still still big issues for migrant groups, he added.
“One in three people from non-English speaking backgrounds are telling us that they experienced discrimination in 2022. And so that kind of discrimination that hinders the process of belonging and integration in Australia.”
Australians are also less happy than they used to be.
The number of people who said they have been happy in the past year slipped to 78 per cent, compared to 79 per cent in 2018-19.
37 per cent of adults have a great pride in the Australian way of life and culture. Source: SBS News
