Good Practice Guide To Empower New Refugees Settling In Australia

Laurie Ferguson MP
Parliamentary Secretary for Multicultural Affairs
and Settlement Services


Good practice guide to empower new refugees settling in Australia

A collection of successful settlement projects will boost community interest in similar initiatives and assist Australia's humanitarian arrivals in adjusting to their new home, Parliamentary Secretary for Multicultural Affairs and Settlement Services Laurie Ferguson said while launching a good practice guide on World Refugee Day today.

Empowering Refugees: A Good Practice Guide to Humanitarian Settlement showcases 29 successful projects in the government and non-government sectors from around Australia in key areas such as health, education, employment, law and community harmony.

"The Good Practice Guide is a resource tool for the community sector, with projects written about in detail, to enable good practice to be copied or adapted elsewhere in Australia, so that community organisations do not have to reinvent the wheel," Mr Ferguson said.

"There are many caring and dedicated people and community organisations around Australia doing some wonderful work helping settle refugees. This guide will enable them to learn from each other.

"What better way to capitalise and build on the success of these organisations than to pass on that experience and knowledge to others?

"The guide is also intended to be a source of information and inspiration for government policy-makers at all levels so that projects that work at a grassroots level can influence government policy development."

Included in the guide are projects such as a pilot learner-driver project for humanitarian entrants, a life skills project for southern Sudanese women, a refugee youth soccer development program, employment mentoring schemes and homework clubs for refugees.

The project was developed by a joint Commonwealth and state and territory committee of officials from the multicultural affairs agencies around Australia, chaired by the Secretary of the Department of Immigration and Citizenship, Andrew Metcalfe.

"The guide is a truly collaborative effort and demonstrates that highly beneficial settlement programs are being run all around Australia, empowering refugee and humanitarian arrivals with the knowledge and skills to successfully settle and integrate," the parliamentary secretary said.

The guide can be downloaded from www.immi.gov.au/media/publications/settle/index.htm

Media Contact Khaldoun Hajaj 0404 078 692

SOURCE: Laurie Ferguson MP, Parliamentary Secretary for Multicultural Affairs
and Settlement Services