The Refugee Council of Australia (RCOA) has urged the Australian Government to act on a new United Nations Committee Against Torture report which highlights breaches of international law in Australia’s treatment of...
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Refugee Council welcomes steps to ease the pain of separation for refugee families
The Refugee Council of Australia (RCOA) has welcomed the Federal Government’s announcement that it will ease travel restrictions for refugees on temporary visas and amend a ministerial direction which has prevented...
Refugee Council welcomes NSW Government $3.65 million emergency package for people seeking asylum
The Refugee Council of Australia (RCOA) has welcomed a new NSW Government emergency support package of $3.65 million as a much-needed response to ongoing destitution among people seeking asylum who live in our...
Slow visa processing: The real issue behind a flailing migration system
The Refugee Council of Australia has cast doubt on media claims of an “industrial scale visa scam”, pinpointing the deliberate slowing down of visa processing by the previous government as the key issue behind the...
BUDGET 2022: Funds for language classes and visa assessment dwarfed by extra spending on offshore processing
Refugee Council of Australia (RCOA) has welcomed the Albanese Government’s increased Budget investment in the Adult Migrant English Program (AMEP), faster visa processing and support for temporary entrants from Ukraine...
Thousands of people seeking asylum living in poverty
In Anti-Poverty Week (16-22 October), the Federal Government must say how they will address the needs of thousands of people seeking asylum living well below the poverty line in our community. Fewer than 2,000 people...
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Latest publications
Submission on the New International Development Policy
As the national peak body for refugees and people seeking asylum and the organisations and individuals who work with and support them, the Refugee Council of Australia (RCOA) has advocated for many years for a whole-of...
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...
Refugee Council meeting with the UN Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent
The Refugee Council has made a submission to the United Nations Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent (WGEPAD) in the lead up to their visit to Australia in December 2022. Our submission focuses on four...
Refugee Response Index (RRI) Australia Review – Pillar 4: Refugees become self-reliant
This report presents interim findings from the application of the Refugee Response Index (RRI) to the Australia context, focusing on Pillar 4 of the RRI on ‘Refugees become self-reliant’. RRI Pillar 4 interim report...
Refugee Response Index (RRI) Australia Review – Pillar 3: Refugees enjoy their rights
This report presents interim findings from the application of the Refugee Response Index (RRI) to the Australia context, focusing on Pillar 3 of the RRI on ‘Refugees enjoy their rights’. RRI Pillar 3 interim report Size...
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.
Submission on the 2022-23 Humanitarian Program
This year's submission to the 2022-23 Humanitarian Program focused on rebuilding a principled and strategic program.
A right to home: Creating pathways out of homelessness for non-resident people
Presentation by Refugee Council of Australia CEO, Paul Power, to the forum at Customs House, Sydney on 19 July 2022 Homelessness forum speech Size : 165.1 kB Format : PDF I would like to thank Uncle Michael West for the...
UNHCR appeals for support as refugees needing urgent resettlement exceed 2 million
In this report of the Annual Tripartite Consultations on Resettlement (ATCR), UN refugee agency UNHCR pleaded with resettlement states not to forget refugees in protracted situations across Africa, the Middle East and...
Detention in Australia: Report to the Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture
This report updates a previous report provided to the UN Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment on the state of immigration detention in Australia.
ALP refugee policy commitments in their 2021 National Platform
This brief outlines the Australian Labor Party's commitments in its national platform on refugee policy, grouped by topic.
Refugee Response Index (RRI) – Australia review
The RRI is a civil society led initiative that was officially launched in 2022 to assess and monitor countries’ responses to refugees and asylum seekers in an independent and comprehensive manner. It covers each...
