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...
Members hub
Members are the lifeblood of the Refugee Council of Australia's work. Our aim is to represent you and support you in changing Australia's refugee policies.This page highlights the work we are doing to represent you, and brings together resources that may help you in your work supporting refugees.
Connect with us
Raising your voice
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...
Tools to support refugees and people seeking asylum
Factsheets for service providers
The Cultural Atlas (SBS)
The Cultural Atlas is an online atlas including over fifty countries representing Australia’s largest migrant populations. It provides a comprehensive guide to each country, describing the dominant culture of each...
Information for employers
There are a range of resources for employers looking to hire people from refugee backgrounds, produced by members and our friends. This page provides links to some of these resources. Organisations that can help Many of...
Information for people supporting people seeking asylum
Attending Departmental interviews This factsheet is provided by Refugee & Advice Casework Service, a legal organisation that helps refugees in Sydney. It was last upated in March 2016. This factsheet is designed to...
Fast-tracking decisions
This table lists decisions by federal courts relating to the new system of refugee status determination for people who came by boat, known as 'fast tracking'.
Getting involved in the annual UNHCR-NGO Consultations in Geneva: a guide
This is a brief guide for those Australian organisations and individuals that are considering participating in the annual UNHCR-NGO Consultations in Geneva, Switzerland.
Impact of university scholarships for TPV and SHEV Holders receiving Special Benefit income support
This page explains the impact of university and further education scholarships on people on a Commonwealth income payment.
Information for lawyers
This fact sheet explains some parts of the law about who is a refugee and what is 'complementary protection'.
Information for people supporting people in detention
This fact sheet is for people wanting to assist people seeking asylum in immigration detention who appear to be suffering harm because of their prolonged detention.
Recent reports of interest
Report on Volunteering and Settlement in Australia Survey
In May 2019 Volunteering Australia and the Settlement Council of Australia (SCoA) released a report on the National Survey on Volunteering and Settlement in Australia. As reported by Volunteering Australia and SCoA, the...
Reflections on World Refugee Day from a refugee in Indonesia
This guest post is from Mohammad Baqir Bayani, founder and director of HELP for Refugees and Refugees of Indonesia. Each year, around the globe, millions of people stand up to mark world refugee day on 20 June. The main...
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...
Paid work and volunteering helps facilitate integration into new rural and regional communities amongst refugees, new study finds.
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 study found that paid work and...
The Paladin affair
The Paladin Affair refers to concerns related to the granting of a lucrative government contract to security firm Paladin to provide security services to the three refugee centres on Manus Island.
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...
