Fact Sheet 60 - Australia's Refugee and Humanitarian Program
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Australia's Immigration Program has two components:
- Migration Program for skilled and family migrants
- Humanitarian Program for refugees and others in refugee–like situations.
The Humanitarian Program comprises an offshore component for the resettlement of people overseas, and an onshore component for those people already in Australia who seek Australia's protection.
See:
Fact Sheet 61 Seeking Asylum Within Australia
Fact Sheet 65 New Humanitarian Visa System
This fact sheet provides details of Australia's offshore resettlement program. Details of the Migration Program are available in Fact Sheets 20-40.
See: Fact Sheet Index
The offshore component of Australia's Humanitarian Program offers resettlement for people in humanitarian need for whom other durable solutions cannot be found.
The Humanitarian Program is one element of the Australian Government's approach to assisting people affected by international humanitarian crises, which also involves the provision of aid, diplomatic initiatives and peacekeeping.
Since the end of the Second World War, over 700 000 refugees and people in humanitarian need have been resettled in Australia. Many had close family or other ties to Australia.
Background information
The primary responsibility for the protection of an individual lies with their country of nationality. Where their country is not able or is unwilling to provide that protection, the system of international protection is activated.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) works with countries to protect refugees and resolve refugee problems worldwide. This work is based on policies developed by the international community and laid out in the United Nations 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees (the 'Refugees Convention') and the United Nations 1967 Protocol (the '1967 protocol').
Governments who are parties to the Refugees Convention and 1967 protocol have accepted joint responsibility for resolving refugee problems. The Australian Government is strongly committed to helping refugees and people who face serious abuses of their human rights.
Durable solutions
The UNHCR's preferred durable solutions for refugees are:
- voluntary return to their home country as soon as possible in conditions of safety and dignity
- local integration in the country of first asylum if return is not feasible
- resettlement in a third country if neither of the options above are possible or suitable.
First asylum is normally provided by the closest safe country to which the refugee has fled. This then allows for the UN's preferred 'durable solution' of return to the home country in safety and dignity as soon as possible.
Humanitarian Program
Offshore Resettlement
The offshore resettlement component comprises two categories of permanent visa. These are:
- Refugee for people who are subject to persecution in their home country, who are typically outside their home country, and are in need of resettlement. The majority of applicants who are considered under this category are identified and referred by the UNHCR to Australia for resettlement. The Refugee category includes the Refugee, In–country Special Humanitarian, Emergency Rescue and Woman at Risk sub–classes.
- Special Humanitarian Program (SHP) for people outside their home country who are subject to substantial discrimination amounting to gross violation of human rights in their home country. A proposer who is an Australian citizen, permanent resident or eligible New Zealand citizen, or an organisation that is based in Australia, must support applications for entry under the SHP.
More information on proposing someone under the Humanitarian Program is available.
See: Form 681 Refugee and special humanitarian proposal (248KB PDF file)
Flexibility
One of the hallmarks of Australia's Humanitarian Program is its flexibility to ensure the focus remains on helping victims of human rights abuses where the most appropriate available option is resettlement.
This flexibility allows places to be moved between the onshore and offshore components, or from one year to another, to deliver places as effectively as possible
Permanent offshore visas granted but subsequently cancelled or not used are re-credited back into the program.
Composition of the Offshore Resettlement Program
The size and composition of the resettlement program are influenced by a number of factors. These include:
- an estimate of the number of people likely to be found in need of protection in Australia in accordance with international obligations under the Refugees Convention
- UNHCR assessments of the resettlement needs of refugees overseas
- the views of individuals and organisations in Australia conveyed during community consultations with the Minister for Immigration and Citizenship
- Australia's capacity to assist.
Outcomes of 2007–08 Program
In 2007–08 a total of 13 014 visas were granted, of which 10 799 visas were granted under the offshore component and 2215 visas were granted under the onshore component.
In the offshore visa component, grants to people from Africa comprised 30.48 per cent; grants to people from the Middle East and South West Asia comprised 35.25 per cent; and grants to people from the Asia/Pacific region comprised 33.67 per cent. A small percentage of grants were also made to people from Europe and the Americas. See the tables below for further details on the 2007–08 program outcome.
2008–09 Program
In May 2008 the Government announced an increase in the Humanitarian Program to 13 500 places for 2008–09. The Refugee category will be increased to 6500 places based upon a one-off increase of 500 places. These additional places have been set aside for the resettlement of Iraqis in recognition of their critical resettlement needs. The remaining 7000 places will be made available under the SHP category and for onshore needs.
The offshore regional composition of the Humanitarian Program will be evenly distributed in 2008–09. Africa, the Middle East and Asia will remain as priority regions and each region will be allocated a 33 per cent intake, with the remaining one per cent allocated for contingencies.
Settlement assistance
Specialised settlement assistance programs are available to assist eligible Humanitarian Program entrants to settle into the Australian community.
See: Fact Sheet 66 Integrated Humanitarian Settlement Strategy
Humanitarian Program figures
Humanitarian Program grants by category 2003–04 to 2007–08
| Category | 2003-04 | 2004-05 | 2005-06 | 2006-07 | 2007-08 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Refugee | 4 134 | 5 511 | 6 022 | 6 003 | 6 004 |
| Special Humanitarian | 8 927 | 6 755 | 6 836 | 5 275 | 5 026 |
| Onshore Protection | 788 | 895 | 1 272 | 1 701 | 1 900 |
| Temporary Humanitarian Concern | 2 | 17 | 14 | 38 | 84 |
| Total | 13 851 | 13 178 | 14 144 | 13 017 | 13 014 |
Offshore resettlement program grants by region 2002–03 to 2006–07
| Region | 2003-04 | 2004-05 | 2005-06 | 2006-07 | 2007-08 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Europe | 354 | 20 | 55 | 50 | 59 |
| Middle East & SW Asia | 2 867 | 3 174 | 4 335 | 3 126 | 3 807 |
| Africa | 8 353 | 8 486 | 7 100 | 5 695 | 3 291 |
| Asia | 221 | 415 | 1 260 | 2 315 | 3 636 |
| America | 7 | 1 | 8 | 0 | 6 |
| Total | 11 802 | 12 096 | 12 758 | 11 186 | 10 799 |
2007–08 Offshore Visa Grants by Top Ten Countries of Birth
| Burma/ Myanmar |
Iraq | Afghanistan | Sudan | Liberia | Congo (DRC) | Burundi | Iran | Sierra Leone | Sri Lanka |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 961 | 2 215 | 1 185 | 1 158 | 410 | 348 | 303 | 302 | 267 | 243 |
More detailed statistics will be made available in the Department of Immigration and Citizenship Annual Report 2007-08 which will be released later in 2008.
See: Departmental Annual Reports
Further information is available on the department's web site.
See: www.immi.gov.au
The department also operates a national telephone service inquiry line.
Telephone: 131 881
Hours of operation: Monday to Friday from 9am to 4pm (recorded information available outside these hours) for the cost of a local call anywhere in Australia.
Fact Sheet 60. Produced by the National Communications Branch, Department of Immigration and Citizenship, Canberra.
Revised 25 August 2008.
© Commonwealth of Australia 2008.