LATEST NEWS FROM REFUGEE COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA
As the national umbrella body for more than 130 organisations
working with refugees and asylum seekers, the Refugee
Council of Australia (RCOA) is actively involved in new research, policy development,
information and representation on refugee issues.
Senator Fielding all wrong on detention
The Refugee Council of Australia has expressed dismay at the inaccurate and
inflammatory comments by Senator Steve Fielding about conditions in Christmas Island
detention centre. Click here to read RCOA's statement on Senator Fielding's comments.
RCOA signs joint statement on non-refoulement
RCOA has joined fellow members of the Asia Pacific Refugee Rights Network (APRRN) and other organisations in signing a joint statement on the principle of non-refoulement in response to the recent forced deportations of
the Uighurs from Cambodia and the Lao Hmong from Thailand. The statement calls on all governments in the Asia-Pacific region to resolve to fully respect the rights of all
refugees and asylum seekers under international law as of 2010, including by renouncing the practice
of refoulement (forcible deportation of refugees and asylum seekers). Read the joint statement here.
RCOA's statement on the situation of asylum seekers aboard the Merak boat
In response to media reports that the
Indonesian Government is considering returning asylum seekers whose claims were yet to be
examined, RCOA has urged the Australian Government to take action to prevent the return of asylum seekers aboard the Merak boat to situations of persecution.
Click here to read RCOA's statement on the Merak boat.
RCOA 2008-09 Annual Report released
RCOA's Annual Report and audited financial statements for the 2008-09 year are now available for download.
RCOA calls for a humane resolution to the Oceanic Viking impasse
RCOA has called upon the Australian Government to act urgently to resolve the current impasse off Indonesia’s Bintan Island. In a media release issued on November 8, RCOA emphasised the importance of finding prompt resettlement options for refugees aboard the Oceanic Viking and called for greater regional cooperation on refugee protection.
Click here to read RCOA's media release on the Oceanic Viking impasse.
RCOA President addresses FECCA Congress
John Gibson, President of the Refugee Council of Australia, delivered a speech at the Federation of Ethnic Communities’ Councils of Australia (FECCA) Congress in Shepparton, Victoria on October 29th. In his address to the Congress, Mr Gibson provided an overview of developments in Australia’s refugee policy and called for a fair and humane response to recent unauthorised boat arrivals. The full speech can be read on our Speeches page.
RESEARCH AND REPORTS
* Regional Settlement Bibliography - The Regional Settlement Working Group of the Refugee Resettlement Advisory Council has produced an annotated bibliography of research on regional settlement issues. This bibliography was compiled with the assistance of the Settlement Planning Branch of the Department of Immigration and Citizenship, drawing together research as at October 2009. It includes references to 32 documents, with web links to 30 of them.
* Amplifying the Voices of Young Refugees - people aged less than 30 years on arrival now comprise the significant majority and a growing proportion of new arrivals to Australia under the Refugee and Humanitarian Program. In recognition of this, the Refugee Council of Australia (RCOA) undertook a literature review and series of youth consultations across three Australian states and the Australian Capital Territory in 2008-09 with the aim of developing a targeted and informed strategy for the ongoing engagement of refugee young people in advocating to have their needs and concerns addressed and ideas recognised at a national level.
* Annotated
bibliography of research on education and training issues for young refugees -
As part of our current research into education and training issues for refugee
young people, RCOA has produced an annotated bibliography on relevant research
on post-compulsory education and training pathways. Our Youth Issues pages also
includes links to other research reports about issues facing teenagers and young
adults of refugee background.
* Report
highlights refugees' struggle to find protection - In June 2009,
RCOA released "The Search for Protection: Resettled refugees reflect on seeking
asylum in Asia and the Middle East". The study found that many refugees in
South-East Asia and the Middle East are living in constant fear of arrest and
deportation and regularly experience harassment and exploitation, regardless of
whether they have UNHCR registration. See RCOA's
media release about the report or go
straight to the report.
DEBUNKING MYTHS ABOUT REFUGEES
* Do refugees receive more than aged pensioners?
- An email being circulated widely claims refugees in Australia receive higher
social security benefits than aged pensioners. For the truth, click here.
* Is
Australia more generous to refugees than any other country? - While
Australia’s contribution to protecting refugees is significant, new UNHCR
figures show that the largest numbers of the world’s refugees continue to
be hosted by countries much poorer than our own. See RCOA's statement and statistics
on RCOA's media releases page.
USEFUL INFORMATION ON OUR WEBSITE
* For the latest news from RCOA, see our
latest monthly bulletin and recent media
releases.
* For up-to-date information on Australian refugee policy, see
our Current Issues section or view the reports,
submissions and speeches in our Resources
section.
* To become more active in supporting refugees, see volunteering
opportunities around Australia, job
vacancies with RCOA member organisations and information about becoming a
member of RCOA in our
Get Involved section.
* A national calendar of coming events is in our News
and Events section.
* For links to useful websites, including RCOA's organisational
members, see our Links page.
REFUGEE WEEK
Refugee Week is celebrated each year to build awareness of
the needs of the world's refugees and of the contributions of refugees who have
made Australia their home. It coincides with World Refugee Day (June 20). In 2010,
Refugee Week will be celebrated from from June 20 to 26. For more information
about Refugee Week, including 2009 events, click
here. CONTACT US
Refugee Council of Australia - Head Office
Suite 4A6, 410 Elizabeth Street, Surry Hills NSW 2010
Tel: 02 9211 9333
Fax: 02 9211 9288
Email: info@refugeecouncil.org.au
Refugee Council of Australia - Victorian Office
PO Box 12597, A'Beckett Street VIC 8006
Tel: 03 9600 3302
Email: melbourne@refugeecouncil.org.au
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