Refugees have been an important part of Australia’s post World War Two migration intake and brought immense social, cultural and economic benefits to our communities.
Speaking to our best traditions as a welcoming multicultural nation, ECCV is calling for Australia’s Humanitarian Program to be progressively increased to 27,000 places by 2028-29, up from 20,000 places this year. According to the United Nations, 123 million people globally were forcibly displaced at the end of 2024. Yet the USA seems now likely to completely cease its refugee intake under the Trump Administration. ECCV believes this scenario offers the Albanese Government an opportunity and platform to step up and show leadership which will resonate globally and enhance our reputation in the Asia-Pacific region.
In our latest submission, ECCV also argues that humanitarian visas offered through what’s known as “complementary pathways”, such as the Community Support Program and Refugee Settlement, should be separated from the overall humanitarian intake and this allocation increased to 10,000 places per year. Reforms that will make family reunions less restrictive are also called for, as well as a much-needed review of funding for regional settlement services.
Making 12 recommendations for the composition of Australia’s Humanitarian Program, we also outline substantive recent reforms by the Federal Government to improve refugee policy.
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