The Refugee Council of Australia (RCOA), the national peak body for refugees and people seeking asylum and the organisations and individuals who work with and support them, welcomes the Government’s acknowledgement of...
Education and employment
What challenges do refugees in Australia face in getting education and employment? What are some of the initiatives and successes in getting refugees access to study and work? You can find more information by type here.Latest
Submission on the Employment White Paper
RCOA welcomes the opportunity to provide feedback on the Employment White Paper and supports the focus of these consultations on women’s economic participation and equality and the need to create “more opportunities for...
Our work
2022 Jobs and Skills Summit: Eight opportunities to increase the potential of humanitarian migration to Australia
This brief provides key messaging for participants at the 2022 Jobs and Skills Summit on how refugee and humanitarian entrants can and do contribute to meeting Australia’s current and future challenges.
Factsheets, reports & resources
Classroom resources for teachers
Looking for resources to use in the classroom with your students? Check out these great resources including teaching guides, posters, films, stories and more! You can also download this resource as a word document here...
Information on living in Australia
This page provides information for refugees living in Australia or settling in Australia. It provides links to key resources.
Report from Foundation House Schools Support Program
The Victorian Foundation for Survivors of Torture Inc. (Foundation House) has released a new report on the results of a research project on school support for children with a refugee background. The report, titled...
Study finds paid work and volunteering amongst refugees helps facilitate integration
New research has been conducted into the impact of employment and volunteering in facilitating health and wellbeing outcomes for refugees in regional or rural areas in Australia. The article Qualitative exploration of...
Refugees are the most entrepreneurial migrants in Australia
Refugees are Australia’s most entrepreneurial migrants and are almost twice as likely to be entrepreneurs as the wider Australian population. Despite this, both current policy and refugee settlement services focus on...
Jobactive employment program a ‘harsh bureaucratic nightmare’, senate report finds.
Refugees are amongst out-of-work Australians suffering under a ‘harsh bureaucratic nightmare’ that is the Federal Government’s employment program – Jobactive. A Senate inquiry report states that...
University a pathway to meaningful lives for people seeking asylum
The means to access higher education is critical for the individual wellbeing of people seeking asylum and their ability to contribute to society. A report funded by the National Centre for Student Equity in Higher...
The Staging Post
Jolyon Hoff The Staging Post follows two Afghan Hazara refugees, Muzafar and Khadim. Stuck in Indonesia after Australia ‘stopped the boats’ and facing many years in limbo, they built a community and started...