Okay this is sneaky - like WTH. I found this article this morning about how refugees are going to be housed in Oz by volunteer families in their homes. I read further and it was apparently under the "homestay network". I thought hmmm what is this? I have never heard of it. I wonder what it is? So I googled homestay and found the website. Guess what? The network is designed for foreign students to find lodging and ppl to volunteer to lodge them. The govt is hijacking this scheme and ppl are going to get something they never bargained for when they volunteered.

The news link about the refugees

The homestay network

Spot

Sir Spot of Borg wrote on May 3^rd, 2012 at 8:29am:

Okay this is sneaky - like WTH. I found this article this morning about how refugees are going to be housed in Oz by volunteer families in their homes. I read further and it was apparently under the "homestay network". I thought hmmm what is this? I have never heard of it. I wonder what it is? So I googled homestay and found the website. Guess what? The network is designed for foreign students to find lodging and ppl to volunteer to lodge them. The govt is hijacking this scheme and ppl are going to get something they never bargained for when they volunteered. The news link about the refugees The homestay network Spot

I've read the Homestay pages. The host family/person would have to agree to taking an asylum seeker rather than a student.

The idea is new, I'd say they will set up a different site/area for asylum seeker hosts.

There's no information on hosting asylum seekers at this stage.

it smacks of pinkbatts and blackboxes to me..

You would think they would organise there information before they let out the policy change. Well that is labor for you.

progressiveslol wrote on May 3^rd, 2012 at 8:51am:

You would think they would organise there information before they let out the policy change. Well that is labor for you.

Its government for you. Liberals would have done exactly the same thing.

SOB

Should Homeless Australians be included in the home stay program?

BlOoDy RiPpEr wrote on May 3^rd, 2012 at 9:46am:

Should Homeless Australians be included in the home stay program?

Frick that would be bloody nice wouldn't it . . .. wont ever happen though

SOB

The thing is and I was going to say this in another thread but it was going another way - the ppl that sign up to have a student stay with them are suddenly going to have a refugee. This is a fully grown adult that doesnt speak english most probably. Big difference from a student who has learned english to come here and study.

The whole scheme should be separate. Not hijacking an existing scheme.

SOB