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2012-13 Submission on the Refugee and Humanitarian Program

RCOA's annual submission on Australia's Refugee and Humanitarian Program is now available for download here.

2012-14 Refugee Week theme: 'Restoring Hope'

RCOA has chosen 'Restoring Hope' as the Refugee Week theme for 2012 to 2014. For further details, visit the Refugee Week website.

Plight of refugees with adverse ASIO findings raised with Canberra

RCOA has written to Attorney-General Nicola Roxon on the predicament of recognised refugees who remain in immigration detention because of adverse ASIO findings. Read the letter here.

Nauru is not an option

RCOA acted strongly to reject any return to offshore processing in Nauru following revelations the Federal Government was willing to negotiate with the Opposition on asylum seeker policy. Read our media release.

Refugee and asylum seeker policy on a positive pathway

RCOA has welcomed the announcement by the Federal Government that it had begun to wind back its policy of indefinite mandatory detention for asylum seekers who enter Australia by boat. Read our media release.

Post-compulsory education and training pathways for refugee young people

This report brings together evidence of good practice in the provision of education and training that meet the needs of refugee young people.

Read more about: Finding the Right Time and Place

Follow @OzRefugeeCounc

Statistics on Australia's onshore protection program

Note: There may be some inconsistencies between the following tables due to variations in the data sources used.

Onshore Protection Visa applications and grants, 2005-06 to 2009-10

Year	Applications	Visa grants
2005-06	3,291	1,286
2006-07	3,746	1,739
2007-08	4,009	1,984
2008-09	5,302	2,422
2009-10	8,150	4,523

Source: DIAC.

Top 10 countries of origin for onshore entrants, 2009-10

Country	No. of entrants	Grant rate
Afghanistan	1,514	99.7%
Sri Lanka	505	87.8%
China	492	42.0%
Iraq	321	97.3%
Iran	282	98.3%
Zimbabwe	255	85.3%
Pakistan	218	84.2%
Stateless	192	98.5%
Egypt	79	71.2%
Burma	78	96.3%

Asylum seekers arriving by boat, by financial year, 1 July 1989 to 30 June 2010

Year	Number of boats	Number of people	Year	Number of boats	Number of people
1989-90	3	224	2000-01	54	4,137
1990-91	5	158	2001-02	19	3,039
1991-92	3	78	2002-03	0	0
1992-93	4	194	2003-04	3	82
1993-94	6	194	2004-05	0	0
1994-95	21	1,071	2005-06	8	61
1995-96	14	589	2006-07	4	133
1996-97	13	365	2007-08	3	25
1997-98	13	157	2008-09	23	985
1998-99	42	921	2009-10	117	5,315
1999-2000	75	4,175	Total	430	21,903

Source: DIAC. Excludes boats prior to 1989, as statistics are not available.

Asylum seekers arriving by boat, by calendar year, 1 January 1976 to 31 December 2010

Year	Number of boats	Number of people	Year	Number of boats	Number of people
1976		111	1997	11	339
1977		868	1998	17	200
1978		746	1999	86	3721
1979		304	2000	51	2939
1980		0	2001	43	5516
1981		30	2002	1	1
1982-88		0	2003	1	53
1989	1	26	2004	1	15
1990	2	198	2005	4	11
1991	6	214	2006	6	60
1992	6	216	2007	5	148
1993	3	81	2008	7	161
1994	18	953	2009	60	2726
1995	7	237	2010	134	6535
1996	19	660	Total	489	27,069

Source: DIAC. Excludes boats prior to 1989, as statistics are not available.