Opposition Leader Angus Taylor is vowing to cut immigration and refugee assistance in his first Budget reply speech.

Following a shock by-election loss to One Nation in the NSW seat of Farrer at the weekend, the Coalition is ramping up anti-immigration rhetoric.

Labor, however, has maintained its commitment to fund refugee support initiatives, following an announcement last year to make one such scheme—the Community Refugee Integration & Settlement Pilot—a permanent fixture in Australia’s Refugee and Humanitarian Program.

Through CRISP, community volunteers are trained to support refugees during their first year of settlement, helping them access services including Medicare, education and employment support.

For refugees like Mohamed Yasin Sadat, the support was pivotal.

At 14, he was forced to flee the dangers of war in his home of Afghanistan. After nine years in a refugee camp in India, he eventually found safety in Australia.

One year on, Mr Sadat works part-time and is studying to become an auto electrician – mapping out a future once thought impossible.

“So far, It’s been much better than Afghanistan and India. The security, feeling safe, feeling free,” he says.

Refugee Council of Australia chief executive officer Paul Power says the Opposition’s anti-immigration stance remains divisive.

“Refugees should not be used as scapegoats as Australia tries to resolve policy failures in housing, cost of living or access to services,” he says.

“People who come to Australia contribute enormously to our economy, workforce and communities.”

CRISP community support volunteer Trudy Rosenwald warns against the latest round of attacks on the refugee community.

“If people don’t critique the rising anti-immigration sentiments and behaviour, both on the government level and in the community, those harmful ideas get louder,” she says.

Curtin University Dean of Global Futures Professor Farida Fozdar says misinformation is partially to blame.

“There are a range of misperceptions, one being that refugees receive a range of benefits, which is not accurate. There’s not a lot of extra resources that go into refugees, and they are a very small proportion of the population on government benefits,” she says.

She says empathy is key to shifting the conversation.

“I encourage people to think about the sort of experiences refugees have endured to get here. When you consider their goals, you’ll likely find they’re the same as you,” she says.

According to a University of Queensland evaluation, CRISP delivers long-term benefits for both refugees and the wider community.

For volunteers like Mrs Rosenwald, the program provides hope for a compassionate future.