Settlement services

Many refugee and humanitarian entrants are severely traumatised by the experiences which have caused them to leave their home countries, which can make their settlement in Australia a challenging experience. The Australian Government has established a suite of services which aim to meet the often complex and diverse needs of refugees. These include: cultural orientation, settlement support, language support, torture and trauma services and youth services.

Provided by community agencies, these services aim to provide refugees with the support and assistance required to rebuild their lives and become fully functioning members of the Australian community.

What does ‘settlement’ mean?

In recent years there has been much discussion about what constitutes 'settlement' and the length of time needed for refugees to feel 'settled' in their community. While it is agreed that tangible factors such as income support, housing, employment, education, health care and family reunion are essential, it is the less tangible factors which play a vital role in the settlement process, including:

• being able to feel safe and secure;
• restoring a sense of self worth;
• restoring a sense of dignity;
• regaining a sense of control over one's life;
• resolving guilt; and
• processing grief about the loss of self and country.

Discussions at the 2001 International Conference on the Reception and Integration of Resettled Refugees in Stockholm, Sweden reached a number of conclusions about what constitutes 'settlement'.

• Settlement is a two-way process: it is not just something that refugees must do, but there is also a need for the wider community to make adaptations to accommodate the refugees. A 'spirit of hospitality', where refugees are made to feel welcomed into a community, underpins successful refugee settlement programs;
• 'Successful' settlement is backed up by Government policies and institutional philosophies that see the incorporation of refugee-sensitive programs into all mainstream service institutions, as, after all, refugees are residents and taxpayers - and as such - legitimate clients of mainstream service providers;
• Government funding of community sector projects is essential for the 'successful' settlement of resettled refugees;
• Developing links between newly arrived refugees and the host community is one of the keys to 'successful' settlement. Volunteers play an essential role in this, providing a very special connection with refugees that goes beyond the kind of support that can be provided by paid employees. Where volunteers are used, however, it is essential that they be selected, trained, monitored and supported throughout their period of involvement with the refugees;
• Those employed to work with refugees - in whatever sector - also need specialist training and ongoing support. It must be acknowledged that this is a specialised field and it can be very stressful for workers;
• Refugee reception and settlement is also a profession that is emerging and evolving - new groups are coming, new lessons are being learned with each new population received. Research and information sharing among workers in both Government and NGO sectors, academics, and refugees is important, as is the development of benchmarks, standards and monitoring processes.

For further information, see the Report of the International Conference on the Reception and Integration of Resettled Refugees

Interagency networks working on refugee settlement issues

The Refugee Council of Australia has compiled a database of interagency networks working on refugee settlement and asylum seeker issues at a state and national level. The database aims to facilitate the sharing of information and advocacy from a local and state level to the national level. The database can be downloaded here.

To update, remove or include information about a state or national interagency network that you are involved with that specifically focuses on issues relating to refugee settlement or asylum seekers, please contact RCOA on info@refugeecouncil.org.au or call (02) 9211 9333.