September 2026 The Refugee Council of Australia (RCOA) strongly endorses the NSW Human Rights Bill, and fully supports the Bill’s recognition that human rights apply to all individuals, regardless of where one is...
Submissions
The Refugee Council of Australia makes many submissions to key parliamentary and independent inquiries and reviews during the year, on issues affecting refugees in Australia.
Refugee Council’s response to Attorney-General’s draft report to the UN Committee Against Torture
September 2026 RCOA’s submission highlights significant gaps in the Attorney-General’s draft report, including its limited consideration of the rights and treatment of non-citizens in immigration detention, offshore...
Shaping the future of employment services
August 2026 Employment services have the potential play a crucial role in supporting people from refugee backgrounds to make the transition to work in Australia. However, RCOA has consistently heard from refugee and...
Defending Australia’s Legacy: Why we need to safeguard our Humanitarian Program
Last week, RCOA submitted our response to the Australian Government discussion paper on Australia’s Humanitarian Program 2026-27 and beyond. The information provided and questions asked in the discussion paper signal...
Submission on the inquiry into offshore processing and resettlement arrangements
13 February 2026 We recently made a submission on the inquiry into offshore processing and resettlement arrangements. Its focuses include: Summary of Australia’s offshore policies prior to the new third country...
Submission on inquiry into democracy and human rights in Myanmar
5 February 2026 The Refugee Council of Australia (RCOA) recently made a submission to the Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade References Committee for their inquiry into democracy and human rights in Myanmar. Our...
Submission on the inquiry into the value of skilled migration to Australia
5 February 2026 We recently made a submission to the Joint Standing Committee on Migration for their inquiry into the value of Skilled Migration to Australia. Our submission focused on: the relationship between skilled...
Submission on externalisation and offshore warehousing of people seeking protection
5 February 2026 In December 2025, the Refugee Council of Australia made a submission to the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Human Rights of Migrants, raising our serious concerns regarding Australia’s policies...
2026-27 Pre-Budget Submission
As the national peak body for people from refugee and asylum seeking backgrounds and the organisations and individuals who work with and support them, the Refugee Council of Australia (RCOA) welcomes the opportunity to...
Inquiry into the Combatting Antisemitism, Hate and Extremism Bill 2026
15 January 2026 While the Refugee Council of Australia supports the intent of the newly proposed Bill to strengthen community safety and prevent hate, discrimination and violence, it is crucial that measures aimed at...
