Today’s release of 23 refugees – eight from Melbourne’s Park Hotel and 15 from other detention centres – is a small but important step towards ending Australia’s cruel punishment of people who sought protection from...
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Refugee Council of Australia welcomes final report on Australia’s engagement in Afghanistan
The Refugee Council of Australia welcomes the final report of the Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade References Committee’s inquiry on Australia’s engagement in Afghanistan. We endorse the recommendations and look...
Government listens to community pleas by adding 16,500 new places for Afghan refugees
The Refugee Council of Australia (RCOA) has welcomed the announcement in the 2022 Federal Budget of 16,500 additional places for refugees from Afghanistan over the next four years. “By setting aside 16,500...
Australians welcome NZ’s generosity to refugees in offshore processing
Media release 24 March 2022 The New Zealand Government’s announcement today of 450 resettlement places over three years for refugees caught up in Australia’s offshore processing regime will be welcomed by millions of...
Refugee Council of Australia welcomes the Federal Government’s decision to provide temporary humanitarian visas for Ukrainians
The Refugee Council of Australia has welcomed the Federal Government’s announcement of temporary humanitarian visas for Ukrainian people seeking safety in Australia. “Enabling Ukrainian people to arrive in Australia and...
Refugee groups urge immediate action to reinstate humanitarian visas ahead of Federal Budget
The proposal includes 20,000 humanitarian visa places plus an additional intake of 20,000 places for refugees from Afghanistan. Community and refugee groups from across Australia have come together with the Refugee...
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Latest publications
2022 Federal election: Refugee policies of Liberal-National Coalition, Labor and The Greens
This briefing provides an overview of the public positions on refugee issues of the three parties with the largest representation in the Australian Parliament – the Liberal-National Coalition, the Australian Labor Party...
The Federal Budget: What it means for refugees and people seeking humanitarian protection
What does the Federal Budget hold for refugees and people seeking humanitarian protection? This analysis provides a full briefing of those changes.
Submission on the Ending Indefinite and Arbitrary Immigration Detention Bill 2021
This submission highlighted that this was the first Bill introduced to the Parliament in a long time that aimed to fundamentally reform Australia’s immigration detention system.
National Anti-Racism Framework submission
This submission to the Australian Human Rights Commission's draft National Anti-Racism Framework outlined the experience of refugees and people seeking asylum and the impacts of racism on their communities, social...
Possibilities and impediments to cross-border movement in Afghanistan
This briefing paper canvasses the options for people in Afghanistan to cross borders, after the closure of borders in Afghanistan.
15,000 places for Afghan nationals over four years: Why Australians are disappointed
Immigration Minister Alex Hawke announced in January 2022 that the Australian Government would provide at least 15,000 places over four years for Afghan nationals from within the existing humanitarian and migration...
Facilitating humanitarian arrivals in the context of global vaccine inequities
From the start of the COVID-19 pandemic until the end of 2021, border restrictions have meant only a trickle of refugee and humanitarian visa holders have been allowed to enter Australia. With the progressive opening of...
Further evidence for inquiry into Australia’s engagement in Afghanistan
This further evidence and update on our previous submission to the inquiry into Australia's engagement in Afghanistan drew the Committee’s attention to the urgent need for visa processing priorities to be determined and...
Submission on the performance and integrity of Australia’s administrative review system
The Refugee Council of Australia's submission on the inquiry into the performance and integrity of Australia’s administrative review system emphasised the importance of the AAT remaining independent, adequately...
RCOA Impact Report 2020-21
This report highlights just some of our achievements in the past year in our efforts to promote fairer and more humane refugee and asylum policies and to educate the public about the refugee journey and the important...
Economic benefits of transitioning refugees from temporary to permanent visas
In 2014 the Australian Government reintroduced a three-year Temporary Protection Visa (TPV) and a new five-year Safe Haven Enterprise Visa (SHEV). The SHEV was designed to encourage refugees to settle in regional areas...
People with disability in immigration detention
This submission focused on the experiences of people with disability in immigration detention and the main issues and concerns they face, and emphasised the need for the Royal Commission to pay particular attention to...
