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 125 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.
POSITION VACANT - NATIONAL POLICY DIRECTOR
The Refugee Council is currently advertising the position of
National Policy Director, based at our Sydney office. For details, see our Employment
page.
AUSTRALIA CELEBRATES ACHIEVEMENTS OF REFUGEES
Thank you to the many Australians who worked together to make
Refugee Week 2008 (June 15-21) a great success. More than 130 events were held
across eight states and territories, focused on celebrating the resilience and
achievements of refugees and highlighting the 2008 theme "A Place to Call
Home". Guest speaker at the NSW launch of Refugee Week was SBS-TV football
broadcaster Les Murray, who came to Australia as an 11-year-old refugee from Hungary.
To read his story and to learn more about Refugee Week, click here.
WHAT'S NEW ON OUR WEBSITE
* The latest news from RCOA - Our August email
bulletin and our Winter 2008 newsletter are now on our website. See our newsletters
page.
* New high-security detention centre unsuitable for
asylum seekers - Following a visit to the new $400 million immigration
detention centre on Christmas Island, RCOA and eight other NGOs have outlined
their concerns about the new facility. See our Media
Releases page.
* Detention changes help to restore
Australia's human rights record - RCOA's response to the Federal Government’s
announcement that it will work to restrict indefinite and non-reviewable immigration
detention. See our Media
Releases page.
* Who bears the cost of Australia's Special Humanitarian Program?
- With the support of the Reichstein Foundation, RCOA has released a new
report investigating the burden new Special Humanitarian Program entrants
bear in repaying the costs of their travel to Australia.
* Fictitious 'dole payments plan for illegal immigrants' - In
June, Brisbane's Courier Mail published fanciful claims that the Australian Government
is considering a plan to give illegal immigrants the dole. No apology or retraction
has yet been published, despite exposure on ABC-TV's Media Watch. See our Media
Blunders page.
* 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.
* RCOA's summary of the 2008-09 Federal Budget examines the
Australian Government's funding priorities related to refugee policy. This summary,
on our Current Issues page, can be downloaded here.
* 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. To view the submission,
click here or visit
the Reports page.
* 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
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