The findings presented today by the Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Committee are a clear indication that the Medevac legislation is functioning as intended and should be retained, the Refugee Council of...
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RCOA Impact Report 2018-19
We promote humane and compassionate policies for people seeking safety in Australia and around the globe. While we cannot predict the wars, conflicts and oppressive regimes that will force people to seek asylum, we can...
Minister approves most applications for transfer without need for Independent Health Panel (IHAP) review, says Medical Evacuation Response Group
The Medical Evacuation Response Group (MERG) has responded to the Independent Health Advice Panel (IHAP) Report tabled in Parliament, stating the report shows that in the majority of cases, the Minister himself agrees...
Medevac law a ‘crucial lifeline’, Refugee Council of Australia says in Senate submission
The Refugee Council of Australia (RCOA) has defended the Medevac legislation as a crucial lifeline for seriously ill refugees in a submission made today to the Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Committee. The...
Media Release: New UNHCR refugee figures highlight need for serious rethinking of Australian policy
Australia must turn its focus from harsh deterrence policies to positive and solutions-focused diplomacy if it is to have any influence on the growing global trend of forced displacement, the Refugee Council of...
From Syria to Sydney: Meet Rnita, the face of Refugee Week 2019
23-year old Rnita Dacho couldn’t have timed it better. Having fled Syria with her family and spent months in limbo in Lebanon, she touched down in her new home of Australia right in the middle of Refugee Week 2015 – the...
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Latest publications
RCOA Impact Report 2018-19
We promote humane and compassionate policies for people seeking safety in Australia and around the globe. While we cannot predict the wars, conflicts and oppressive regimes that will force people to seek asylum, we can...
Submission into the Migration Amendment (Strengthening The Character Test) Bill 2019
Our key concerns We welcome the opportunity to restate our significant concerns about this Bill. We have consistently expressed our profound concerns about the continuing expansion of executive powers under the visa...
Momentum builds as UNHCR plans first global refugee forum
Report on Australian NGO and Refugee Advocacy In Geneva – June-July 2019 The growing impact of refugee-led advocacy and plans to use December’s first Global Refugee Forum to build momentum behind the Global Compact on...
A new model for community refugee sponsorship in Australia
This position paper is published by the Community Refugee Sponsorship (‘CRSI’), an independent organisation established by the Refugee Council of Australia, Save the Children Australia, Amnesty International Australia...
A new opportunity for global leadership: Options for Australia’s Refugee and Humanitarian Program in 2019-20
Consultations for the 2019-2020 Humanitarian Program For more than 25 years, the Refugee Council of Australia has been gathering community views on the Refugee and Humanitarian Program. Every year, we conduct a series...
Submission into evaluation of the Adult Migrant English Program (AMEP) new business model (NBM)
In December 2018 the Department of Education and Training commissioned Social Compass to conduct an evaluation of the Adult Migrant English Program (AMEP) new business Model (NMB). RCOA welcomes the opportunity to voice...
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.
Barriers and exclusions: The support needs of newly arrived refugees with a disability
© UNHCR/G.Welters Executive summary Due to experiences of conflict, torture and displacement, people from refugee backgrounds are more likely to have a disability than other populations. However, until 2012, people with...
Submission into the Migration Amendment (Strengthening the Character Test) Bill 2018
Our key concerns We welcome the opportunity to state our significant concerns about this Bill, and to state our opposition to it in the clearest possible terms. We have consistently expressed our profound concerns about...
Until when: The forgotten men of Manus Island
This joint report, in partnership with Amnesty International, tells the story of the men who have been sent by Australia to Manus Island, Papua New Guinea (PNG), and what has happened to them after they were forcibly...
After the boats have stopped: Refugees stranded in Indonesia and Australia’s containment policies
This brief provides an overview of Australia’s role in stopping refugees leaving Indonesia en route to Australia, and highlights the precarious situation refugees now face in Indonesia.
An unnecessary penalty: Economic impacts of changes to the Status Resolution Support Services
This paper finds that the changes to Status Resolution Support Services (SRSS) will force people into situations of material poverty rather than assisting them to find employment. Removing income and case management...
