skip to main page content.
A Just Australia
Australian Refugee Foundation
Refugee Week

Latest News

Budget analysis 2012-13

Read RCOA's analysis of the Federal Budget here.

Three new reports on settlement issues released

RCOA has released three new reports focusing on Job Services Australia, Income Management and Family Links. They can be accessed here.

20 years of mandatory detention

Sunday, 6 May, marked the 20th anniversary of Australia's mandatory detention policy for asylum seekers who arrive in Australia without a visa. Read our media release.

Homestay network supporting asylum seekers

Efforts to help accommodate asylum seekers while their status is being determined have been strengthened through the Homestay network. Read our media release.

End Child Detention focus on Australia

RCOA is providing strong support for the End Child Detention campaign. Through May, Australia is the first in a series of countries being highlighted by the Global Campaign to End Immigration Detention of Children. Read our media release here.

 

Detention of asylum seekers

Australia's system of mandatory indefinite detention is in urgent need of reform.

 

Statistics on Australia's current Refugee and Humanitarian Program

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

Permanent additions to the resident population by eligibility category, 2001-02 to 2010-11


Year

Family

Skill

Special Eligibility

Non-Program Migration*

Humanitarian

Total

Humanitarian as % of total

2001-02

37,950

51,671

1,459

22,612

7,482

121,174

6.2%

2002-03

40,105

56,782

1,191

17,597

10,185

125,860

8.1%

2003-04

42,187

74,850

937

19,972

12,046

149,992

8.0%

2004-05

43,747

81,893

439

23,712

17,528

167,319

10.5%

2005-06

45,943

91,501

301

25,098

16,964

179,807

9.4%

2006-07

48,769

98,918

163

29,899

14,158

191,907

7.4%

2007-08

50,680

107,469

143

35,919

11,729

205,940

5.7%

2008-09

56,477

118,415

233

34,640

14,854

224,619

6.6%

2009-10

59,453

108,300

654

25,961

14,553

208,921

7.0%

2010-11

54,708

107,656

653

36,416

13,976

213,409

6.5%

Total

480,019

897,455

6,173

271,826

133,475

1,788,948

7.5%

*People who migrated without visas (predominantly New Zealanders)

Australia’s Refugee and Humanitarian Program visa grants by stream,
2006-07 to 2010-11

Year

Refugee

Special
Humanitarian
Program

Total
Offshore

Onshore

Grand
Total

2006-07

6,003

5,275

11,278

1,739

13,017

2007-08

6,004

5,026

11,030

1,984

13,014

2008-09

6,499

4,511

11,085

2,422

13,507

2009-10

6,003

3,244

9,247

4,523

13,770

2010-11 5,998 2,981 8,979 4,820 13,799

Refugee and Humanitarian visa grants by sub-class, 2005-06 to 2009-10

Visa sub-class

2006-07

2007-08

2008-09

2009-10

2010-11

Total

Offshore Refugee visas

 

 

 

 

 

 

Refugee (visa subclass 200)

5,011

5,132

5,653

5,173

5,211

26,180

In-country Special Humanitarian (201)

8

42

54

24

26

154

Emergency Rescue (203)

3

5

4

-

2

14

Woman at Risk (204)

980

819

788

806

759

4,152

Secondary Movement Relocation -
Temporary (451)

1

6

-

-

 

7

Offshore Special Humanitarian visas

 

 

 

 

 

 

Global Special Humanitarian (202)

5,183

4,795

4,511

3,233

2,973

20,695

202 visas granted by
ministerial intervention

92

231

75

11

8

417

Onshore Protection visas

 

 

 

 

 

 

Onshore Temporary Protection (785)

305

196

9

-

-

510

Resolution of Status (851)

-

-

39

8

2

49

Onshore Permanent Protection (866)

1,396

1,704

2,369

4,515

4,818

14,802

Temporary Humanitarian Concern (786)

38

84

5

-

-

127

TOTAL

13,017

13,014

13,507

13,770

13,799

67,107

Top five countries of origin for Humanitarian entrants by visa stream, 2005-06 to 2010-11

Visa class

2005-06

2006-07

2007-08

2008-09

2009-10

2010-11

Refugee

Liberia

Burma

Burma

Burma

Burma

Burma

Burma

Burundi

Iraq

Iraq

Bhutan

Iraq

Burundi

DR Congo

Afghanistan

Bhutan

Iraq

Bhutan

Iraq

Iraq

DR Congo

DR Congo

DR Congo

DR Congo

Sudan

Sudan

Burundi

Somalia

Ethiopia

Afghanistan

Special
Humanitarian

Sudan

Sudan

Iraq

Iraq

Iraq

Iraq

Iraq

Afghanistan

Sudan

Afghanistan

Afghanistan

Afghanistan

Afghanistan

Iraq

Afghanistan

Sudan

Sierra Leone

Sri Lanka

Sierra Leone

Burma

Burma

Sierra Leone

Sudan

Sudan

Burma

Sierra Leone

Liberia

Liberia

Liberia

Iran

Onshore
Protection

Sri Lanka

China

Sri Lanka

China

Afghanistan

Afghanistan

China

Sri Lanka

China

Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka

Iran

Iraq

Iraq

Iraq

Afghanistan

China

Stateless

Iran

Iran

Pakistan

Zimbabwe

Iraq

Sri Lanka

Indonesia

Pakistan

Iran

Iraq

Iran

Iraq

Refugee and Humanitarian Program visa applications, 2005-06 to 2010-11

Year

Applications for offshore (resettlement) visas

Applications for onshore (protection) visas

Refugee Visa applications

SHP Visa applications

Total offshore applications

Protection Visa applications
(non-IMAs*)

Protection requests
from IMAs*

Total onshore applications

2005-06

12,090

69,592

81,682

3,191

101

3,292

2006-07

19,957

60,329

80,286

3,723

23

3,746

2007-08

12,880

34,451

47,331

3,986

21

4,007

2008-09

12,453

34,457

46,910

5,072

690

5,762

2009-10

12,552

34,570

47,122

5,987

4,591

10,578

2010-11

29,795

24,448

54,243

6,316

5,175

11.491

*Irregular Maritime Arrivals

Refugee and humanitarian entrants by state or territory of settlement,
2006-07 to 2010-11

State/territory

% national popn

2006-07

2007-08

2008-09

2009-10

2010-11

Total

Australian Capital Territory

1.6% 97
(0.8%)
180
(1.9%)
188
(1.6%)
119
(1.2%)
144
(1.6%)
728
(1.2%)

New South Wales

32.3% 4,192 (34.2%) 2,958 (31.1%) 4,151 (35.6%) 3,180 (32.2%) 2,979 (30.6%) 17,278 (33.0%)

Northern Territory

1.0% 142
(1.2%)
94
(1.0%)
108
(0.9%)
103
(1.0%)
75
(0.8%)
522
(0.1%)

Queensland

20.2% 1,398 (11.4%)

976 (10.3%)

1,159 (10.0%) 1,284 (13.0%) 1,354 (14.8%) 6,171 (11.8%)

South Australia

7.3% 1,229 (10.0%) 835
(8.8%)
1,013 (8.7%) 952
(9.7%)
1,144 (12.5%) 5,173 (9.9%)

Tasmania

2.3% 244
(2.0%)
237
(2.5%)
303
(2.6%)
399
(4.0%)
359
(3.9%)
1,542 (2.9%)

Victoria

24.9% 3,311 (27.0%) 2,787 (29.3%) 3,035 (26.1%) 2,670 (27.1%) 2,440 (26.7%) 14,243 (27.2%)

Western Australia

10.3% 1,634 (13.3%) 1,440 (15.1%) 1,688 (14.5%) 1,149 (11.7%) 817
(8.9%)
6,728 (12.8%)

Total

  12,247 9,507 11,645 9,856 9,130 52,385

Sources

Australian Bureau of Statistics (2011). 3101.0 Australian Demographic Statistics, March 2011, http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/Lookup/3101.0Main+Features1Mar%202011?OpenDocument

Department of Immigration and Citizenship Settlement Reporting Database, http://www.immi.gov.au/settlement

Department of Immigration and Citizenship Annual Reports, 2005-06 to 2009-10, http://www.immi.gov.au/about/reports/annual

Department of Immigration and Citizenship (2011). Asylum Trends: Australia 2010-11, http://www.immi.gov.au/media/publications/statistics/asylum/_files/asylum-trends-aus-annual-2010-11.pdf

Department of Immigration and Citizenship (2011). Immigration Update 2010-11, http://www.immi.gov.au/media/publications/statistics/immigration-update/update-2010-11.pdf

Department of Immigration and Citizenship (2011). Settler Arrivals 2010-11, ,http://www.immi.gov.au/media/publications/statistics/settler-arrivals/settler-arrivals-2010-11.pdf

Department of Immigration and Citizenship (2010). Immigration Update 2009-10, http://www.immi.gov.au/media/publications/statistics/immigration-update/update-2009-10.pdf

Department of Immigration and Citizenship (2008). Immigration Update 2006-07, http://www.immi.gov.au/media/publications/statistics/immigration-update/update_june07.pdf,

Department of Immigration and Multicultural Affairs (2006). Immigration Update 2005-06, http://www.immi.gov.au/media/publications/pdf/Update_June06.pdf

Department of Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs (2005). Immigration Update 2003-04, http://www.immi.gov.au/media/publications/statistics/immigration-update/update_june04.pdf

Some statistics supplied on request by the Department of Immigration and Citizenship.