THE REFUGEE COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA (RCOA)

The Refugee Council of Australia is a non-profit peak organisation. It provides information on and advocacy for refugees and humanitarian entrants in Australia on behalf of its 100 organisational members and many individual members. It is not a part of the Australian Government. For more information on our organisation, see the RCOA brochure or check our latest annual report.

REFUGEE WEEK - JUNE 15-21, 2008
Theme: 'A Place to Call Home'

The Refugee Council of Australia works with other agencies around Australia to coordinate Refugee Week, a national celebration held each year since 1986. In 2008, Refugee Week will be held from Sunday, June 15 to Sunday, June 21. This will coincide with World Refugee Day - Friday, June 20, 2008. The national theme for Refugee Week 2008 is "A Place to Call Home". For more details about Refugee Week - including the NSW Small Grants Program - see our Refugee Week page.

WHAT'S NEW ON OUR WEBSITE

* Submission to the Australian Government on the 2008-09 Refugee and Humanitarian Intake - Each year, the Refugee Council puts together a submission to the Minister for immigration and Citizenship on behalf of the community sector, outlining issues for consideration in developing the coming fiscal year's Refugee and Humanitarian Program. This year's 113-page submission canvasses issues including the size and composition of the 2008-09 humanitarian intake and key settlement concerns such as access to housing and employment. To view the submission, click here or visit the Reports page.

* Discussions with new Australian Government on refugee issues - The Current Issues page includes information on key policy points taken up with the Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, Senator Chris Evans, as well as an edited transcript of the Minister's comments on refugee policy at the February 19 Senate Estimates hearing.

* The closure of Nauru detention centre - On February 8, Senator Chris Evans announced the resettlement of the final group of refugees detained on Nauru. This marked the end of the previous Government's offshore processing centres in Nauru and Papua New Guinea. To view the Refugee Council's response, see our Media Releases page.

* Submissions - RCOA has recently lodged a submission to the Australian Government's General Review of Employment Services. For this and other RCOA submissions to the Australian Government, click here.

* 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.

* The latest news from RCOA - Check the information in our latest bulletins and newsletters or our most recent media releases.

* Get involved - Volunteer with us! For details of new positions with us go to our Volunteering page. For more information on how you can get involved, read about what's happening around Australia on our Events page or find out about new opportunities on our Volunteering and Employment pages.

* Useful links - For links to the websites of RCOA's organisational members and other sites of interest, see our Links page.

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
81-85 Barry Street, Carlton VIC 3053
Tel: 03 9348 2245
Fax: 03 9342 9799
Email: melbourne@refugeecouncil.org.au