Social Policy Resources

Immigration, Asylum, Demography & Population Resources

There are a large number of electronic sites available with a wealth of information on national and international immigration, asylum and population issues. This guide is an attempt to provide links to key immigration and population websites and publications, including the most authoritative international statistical sites.

Migration, Asylum and Refugees

Australian Resources

• Migration Act 1958
• Minister for Immigration and Citizenship
• The Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) maintains a comprehensive website, providing a large amount of information and statistical material on immigration and asylum issues. It provides links to reports, longitudinal studies, fact sheets, historical chronologies, and program statistics to name just a few.
  • Community Information Summaries
  • Fact sheet index
  • Publications, Research and Statistics
    • Population Flows: Immigration Aspects provides information on the characteristics of Australia's population, the composition of Australia's immigration programs and the movement of people into and out of Australia.
    • Immigration Federation to Century's End
    • Longitudinal survey of immigrants to Australia
  • Information booklets and forms
• Migration Agents Registration Authority (MARA) regulates the migration advice industry
• Migration Institute of Australia is a professional body representing the migration consultancy industry
• Migration Review Tribunal - Refugee Review Tribunal

• Australian Human Rights Commission
• Face the Facts 2008 Some Questions and Answers about Indigenous Peoples, Migrants and Refugees and Asylum Seekers
• Immigration, Asylum Seekers and Refugees
• National Inquiry into Children in Immigration Detention

• Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS)
• Migration series (catalogue no. 3412.0). This annual publication includes figures on overseas migration, overseas-born population, overstayers, and illegal entrants.
• 2006 Census data by location allows you to drill down to statistics on migration, language, religion, birthplace and ancestry at the state/territory and capital city level
• Joint Standing Committee on Migration
• Commonwealth Ombudsman Immigration Detention Review Reports
• Refugee Council of Australia
• ANU Centre for Immigration & Multicultural Studies

International Resources

• International Organization for Migration (IOM) is a leading international organisation working with migrants and governments on international responses to migration challenges.
• OECD International Migration page. The OECD monitors migration movements and policies in both member countries and outside the OECD, and undertakes analysis of the economic and social aspects of migration. Their publications include Trends in International Migration (available electronically via our catalogue).
• The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is the agency responsible for leading international action to protect refugees and resolve refugee problems worldwide. The UNHCR website is a major source of data on global refugee movements and trends.
• Convention and Protocol Relating to the Status of Refugees  
• Refworld provides access to reports relating to situations in countries of origin, policy documents and positions, and documents relating to international and national legal frameworks.
• Publications, including Global Trends and State of the World’s Refugees reports
• Refugee statistics  
• Protecting Refugees and the Role of UNHCR.
• Resettlement Handbook includes data on refugee resettlement by county
• Asylum law.org for comparisons of international refugee law
• Citizenship and Immigration Canada
• Canada Immigration and Refugee Board
• Eurasylum links to policy documents, statistics, journals, national authorities and legislation in Europe and internationally
• European Research Centre On Migration and Ethnic Relations (ERCOMER)
• European Council on Refugees and Exiles
• New Zealand Immigration Service
• UK Asylum and Immigration Tribunal
• UK Border Agency
• USA Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement
• USA Citizenship and Immigration Services
• USA State Department - Visa Services
• USA Migration Policy Institute
• USA Center for Immigration Studies
• US Committee for Refugees and Immigrants

Population and Demography

Australian Resources

• Australian Bureau of Statistics Demography Page
• Australian Bureau of Statistics Historical Population Statistics
• Centre for Population and Urban Research, Monash University
• Australian Population Association (APA)
• Australian Population Institute Inc (APOP)
• Sustainable Population Australia

International Resources

• Population Index, Office of Population Research, Princeton University
• United Nations Population Division
• United Nations Population Fund
• State of World Population Report

Multiculturalism

• Federation of Ethnic Communities' Councils of Australia
• NSW: Community Relations Commission for a Multicultural NSW
• Vic.: Victorian Multicultural Commission
• Qld: Multicultural Affairs
• WA: Office of Multicultural Interests
• SA: Multicultural SA
• Tas.: Multicultural Tasmania
• NT: Multicultural Affairs
• ACT: Office of Multicultural, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs

Trafficking Women and Children for Sexual Exploitation

• United Nations Trafficking Protocol
• Second World Congress Against Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children
• European Commission, Directorate-General Justice and Home Affairs, Fight Against Trafficking in Human Beings
• US Department of State Office To Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons
• US Department of State Trafficking in Persons Report
• Anti-Slavery International
• Coalition Against Trafficking in Women
• Coalition Against Trafficking in Women Australia (CATWA)
• Coalition Against Trafficking in Women Asia Pacific (CATW-AP)
• Human Rights Watch Workers, Forced labour and Trafficking page
• ECPAT International (End Child Prostitution, Child Pornography and the Trafficking of Children for Sexual Purposes)

Comments to: janet.phillips@aph.gov.au
Last reviewed 1 December, 2010 by the Parliamentary Library Web Manager
© Commonwealth of Australia
Parliament of Australia Web Site Privacy Statement
Images courtesy of AUSPIC