DIMA Annual Report 1996-97

Sub-program 3.3: Humanitarian Settlement

Objective

To provide on-arrival settlement services assistance to refugees and Humanitarian Program entrants, which complement services directed to all permanent residents.

Description

This sub-program, within the framework of the National Integrated Settlement Strategy (see sub-program 7.3), delivers special settlement services for refugees and eligible Humanitarian Program entrants.

The special settlement services, provided in partnership with other government agencies and many community organisations, include community support through the Community Refugee Settlement Scheme (CRSS); On-Arrival Accommodation (OAA) and case coordination of entrants' settlement needs; assistance to minors under the Unaccompanied Humanitarian Minors' Program; and emergency clothing under the Clothing Reimbursement Scheme (CRS).

The Refugee and Humanitarian Branch in the Department's Central Office coordinates policy and planning of these special settlement services. The services are delivered by State and Territory offices following referral from 13 overseas posts.

Financial and staffing resources summary

	1996-97 Budget and AEs $'000s	1996-97 Actual $'000s	1995-96 Actual $'000s
Budgetary (cash) basis
Components of appropriations
Annual appropriations
Running costs	573	741	735
Other program costs	6 052	4 900	6 499
Total appropriations	6 625	5 641	7 234
Less adjustments	-	-	-
Total outlays	6 625	5 641	7 234
Total revenue	-	-	-
Staffing
Staff years (actual)	11	8	14

Performance information

Outcomes are measured by evaluation and appropriate response to information from a range of sources relating to the efficiency and effectiveness with which special settlement services are delivered for refugees and eligible Humanitarian Program entrants including:

1. placement of eligible entrants with CRSS groups;
2. provision of OAA and case coordination on arrival for eligible applicants;
3. provision of assistance to Unaccompanied Humanitarian Minors; and
4. provision of emergency clothing to eligible entrants under CRS in the first week of arrival.

Performance information in the form of qualitative and quantitative data from settlement planning bodies and from the Department's State and Territory offices, which relates to successful settlement of humanitarian entrants through provision of the above services, contributes to further enhancement of policy and operational considerations in delivery of these services.

Performance outcomes

On 13 May 1997, the Minister announced that a national framework, the Integrated Humanitarian Settlement Strategy, would be established to take a more holistic approach to settlement services for Humanitarian Program entrants.

This strategy will provide a national framework for improving humanitarian settlement services for those most in need. As part of the strategy, training and support will be provided to community organisations which support refugees and eligible Humanitarian Program entrants during their initial settlement in Australia.

(i) CRSS services

The CRSS enables voluntary groups to provide support for Humanitarian Program entrants for six months after their arrival. A grant is paid to the group to assist with the initial expenses involved in settling the entrants.

Some 2 398 refugees and eligible Humanitarian Program entrants (of whom 53 per cent were females) were settled by 173 CRSS groups at a cost of approximately $1.1 million.

The 2 398 people assisted under CRSS represented 44 per cent of the 5 499 entrants who were eligible for assistance. This compares with some 3 300 people or 39 per cent of 8 142 eligible entrants assisted in 1995-96 (of whom 46 per cent were females) at a cost of approximately $1.4 million.

(ii) On-Arrival Accommodation

Refugees and eligible Humanitarian Program entrants not being settled through the CRSS may use short-term accommodation provided by the Department, if they have been identified by overseas posts as in need of this service.

This accommodation is provided in 276 flats in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide.

These entrants are provided with orientation and are linked to a wide range of settlement services.

Expenditure on management of property and services for refugees and eligible Humanitarian Program entrants amounted to $1.8 million in leased accommodation and $1.8 million on rental costs, with 2 085 new arrivals (including 218 from CRSS and 301 released from detention on protection visas) using OAA (781 females and 1 304 males).

The 2 085 new arrivals using OAA in 1996-97 represent 38 per cent of the 5 499 Refugee and Special Humanitarian Program entrants, compared with 2 594 (1 045 females and 1 549 males) or 32 per cent of the 8 142 eligible Refugee and Special Humanitarian program entrants in 1995-96.

The average length of stay for those residents who departed during the financial year was 100 days (84 days in 1995-96). In addition to the new arrivals, a total of 761 people were resident in OAA at 1 July 1996.

The number of OAA flats reduced during the year from 320 to 276, consistent with lower levels of referrals from overseas posts due in part to the 'borrowing' of places from 1996-97 for 1995-96.

Under the non-repayable Rent Rebate Scheme, $0.2 million was provided to 852 people to assist them with the initial costs of moving into non-OAA accommodation ($0.2 million for 836 people in 1995-96).

The OAA case coordination model links arrivals using OAA to agencies which assist them in their settlement and provide additional support or referral when necessary.

For example, people may be linked with income support, health and non-government agencies. Case coordination was provided to all OAA occupants, with the addition of a health assessment and referral mechanism for Brisbane OAA tenants.

(iii) Unaccompanied minors

The Department shares with State/Territory welfare agencies the costs of providing settlement assistance to minors who enter Australia under the Humanitarian Program, but who do not have parents in Australia. Unaccompanied minors granted bridging or protection visas are also covered by this program.

About $0.1 million was spent to assist some 200 minors who were eligible for assistance under the Commonwealth-State Cost Sharing Program for Supervision and Welfare Support of Refugee Minors without parents in Australia ($0.1 million for 286 minors in 1995-96).

Some $30 599 was spent on maintenance allowance for eligible unaccompanied minors.

(iv) Emergency clothing

A total of 870 refugees and Humanitarian Program entrants referred for OAA and CRSS also received assistance under the Clothing Reimbursement Scheme at a cost of approximately $0.06 million. This compares to 990 people assisted in 1995-96 at a cost of $0.06 million.

[Previous] [Next] [Table of Contents ]