              18 December 2013

Humanitarian entrants and asylum seekers: a quick guide to key internet links

Gareth Larsen

Social Policy

This Quick Guide provides key internet links to information about:

·      general resources

·      asylum seekers and humanitarian entrants

·      human trafficking, and

·      international links.

Note: administrative arrangements announced on 18 September 2013 have altered departmental responsibility for settlement and multicultural affairs. Therefore, links to the Australian Government websites listed below may change as new arrangements take effect.

Note: A separate immigration quick guide is available for Permanent and temporary migration.

General resources

·         The Department of Immigration and Border Protection (DIBP) is responsible for managing and reporting on entry, stay and departure arrangements for non-citizens, citizenship, ethnic affairs and customs and border control, providing a large array of statistical, research and policy-related information.

·         The Department of Social Services has responsibility for settlement and multicultural affairs, including Humanitarian Settlement Services, Settlement Grants Program, Complex Case Support, Diversity and Social Cohesion Program, Multicultural Arts and Festivals Grants, and Building Multicultural Communities Programme.

·         The Department of Industry has responsibility for the Adult Migrant English Program (AMEP).

·         The Australian Bureau of Statistics collects national and regional data along with select data from DIBP.

·         The Migration Institute of Australia produces various reports, research and submissions on issues relevant to Registered Migration Agents (RMAs) and other migration professionals.

·         The Office of the Migration Agents Registration Authority (MARA) is an advisory board to consider and provide advice in relation to migration agents.

·         The Parliamentary Library offers research briefs and general distribution publications on current legislation and on a wide range of other issues of interest to the Parliament including immigration.

·         The Fair Work Ombudsman offers a single point of contact to get accurate and timely information about Australia’s workplace relations system. 

·         The Joint Standing Committee on Migration reports on a variety of issues relating to migrants and humanitarian entrants and conducts inquiries on migration-related matters.

·         The Refugee Council of Australia is the national umbrella body for refugees.

·         The Australian Human Rights Commission provides resources on the rights of refugees and asylum seekers.

·         The Migration Act 1958 underpins migration policy in Australia.

Broad Overview of Immigration

·         For a broad overview of Australian immigration, the Parliamentary Library offers the following publications:

-          Population, Immigration and Asylum Seekers: patterns in Australian public opinion

-          Australia’s Migration Program, and

-          Migration to Australia Since Federation: a guide to the statistics.

·         The following DIBP fact sheets and publications provide summaries across immigration matters:

-          Immigration: the background

-          Key Facts About Immigration

-          Immigration Research

-          More Than 65 years of Post-War Migration

-          Immigration: Federation to century’s end, and

-          Abolition of the 'White Australia' Policy.

·         Online forms contain visa information and requirements.

·         Annual reports provide information and statistics and report on program outcomes. 1996–97 to 2012–13.

·         LEGENDcom is the migration law database on DIBP’s website.

·         The Government issues departmental and ministerial media releases across a range of immigration matters.

·         DIBP publishes statistics including arrivals and departures, detention and migration program matters. 

·         The Australian Bureau of Statistics is Australia's official statistical organisation and publishes statistics and publications on humanitarian arrivals.

Asylum Seekers and Humanitarian Entrants

·         The Parliamentary Library provides a range of publications on asylum and refugee issues, including:

-          Boat Arrivals in Australia Since 1976

-          Immigration Detention in Australia

-          Asylum Seekers and Refugees: what are the facts?

-          The People Smugglers’ Business Model

-          What do Refugees and Humanitarian Entrants Contribute to Australia?

-          Destination Anywhere? Factors Affecting Asylum Seekers’ Choice of Destination Country

-          Australian Government Assistance to Refugees

-          Australian Government Assistance to Refugees: fact versus fiction, and

-          Australian Government Spending on Irregular Maritime Arrivals and Counter-People Smuggling Activity.

·         Bills Digests help distil legislative changes. Recent releases include:

-          Appropriation (Implementation of the Report of the Expert Panel on Asylum Seekers) Bill (No. 1) 2012-2013 [and] Appropriation (Implementation of the Report of the Expert Panel on Asylum Seekers) Bill (No. 2) 2012-2013

-          Migration Amendment (Health Care for Asylum Seekers) Bill 2012, and

-          Migration Amendment (Unauthorised Maritime Arrivals and Other Measures) Bill 2012.

·         DIBP offers various statistical resources including:

-          Asylum Trends – Australia 2012–13

-          Australia's Offshore Humanitarian Program 2012–13

-          Australia's Refugee and Humanitarian Program

-          Ministerial Intervention Statistics

-          Asylum Quarterly Statistics, and

-          Onshore Processing Statistics.

·         DIBP publishes research publications and information on refugee and humanitarian issues, including:

-          Australia's Humanitarian Program: 2013–14 and beyond

-          The Special Humanitarian Program (SHP)

-          Getting Settled : women refugees in Australia

-          Changes to Refugee & Humanitarian (Class XB) visas

-          Australian Human Rights Commission Report on Community Arrangements for Asylum Seekers, Refugees and Stateless Persons and the Response

-          The Experiences of Irregular Maritime Arrivals Detained in Immigration Detention Facilities

-          Evaluation of the Expansion of the Community Detention Program: client and service provider perspectives

-          Review of Refugee Decision Making Within the Current POD Process

-          The Management of Enforced Removals in Australia: A client perspective

-          Economic Impact of the Inverbrackie Alternative Place of Detention, and

-          Economic, Civic and Social Contributions of First and Second Generation Humanitarian Entrants.

·         DIBP also releases a range of special publications including:

-          Ombudsman's Report on Suicide and Self-Harm in the Immigration Detention Network and the Response

-          Australian Human Rights Commission Report on Immigration Detention on Christmas Island 2012 and the Response, and

-          Government Response to Recommendations by the Joint Select Committee on Australia's Immigration Detention.

·         DIBP releases fact sheets in the areas of asylum, refugee and detention policy, including:

-          Australia's Refugee and Humanitarian Program

-          Seeking Protection within Australia

-          Complementary Protection

-          Assistance for Asylum Seekers in Australia

-          Community Assistance Support Program

-          Humanitarian Settlement Services

-          The Australian Cultural Orientation (AUSCO) Program

-          Overstayers and Other Unlawful Non-Citizens

-          Managing the Border

-          Controversial Visa Applicants

-          The Character Requirement

-          English Courses for Eligible Migrants and Humanitarian Entrants in Australia

-          Eligibility for Settlement Services

-          Humanitarian Settlement in Regional Australia, and

-          Settlement Services for Refugees.

·         The Commonwealth Ombudsman is required to provide an assessment of the appropriateness of the arrangements for a person's long-term detention with reports tabled in Parliament.

·         The Refugee Council of Australia provides research, advocacy, policy analysis and community education on refugee-related matters.

Human Trafficking

·         The Parliamentary Library publishes research on people trafficking. Recent publications include:

-          People Trafficking: an update on Australia's response, and

-          Trafficking in Persons: a round-up of recent Australian events.

·         The Australian Institute of Criminology publishes reports on trafficking in persons drawing on a range of sources including administrative data from the International Organization for Migration (IOM) Indonesia. These include:

-          People trafficking in Australia

-          The Trafficking of Children in the Asia–Pacific

-          Barriers to Trafficked Persons’ Involvement in Criminal Justice Proceedings: an Indonesian case study

-          Exploitation of Indonesian Trafficked Men, Women and Children and Implications for Support, and

-          Experiences of Trafficked Persons: an Indonesian sample.

·         The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade releases information on people trafficking in persons.

·         The Australian Federal Police provides data and information on human trafficking.

·         The Attorney-General’s Department provides fact sheets and guidelines on Australia’s responses to trafficking.

·         The Bali Process on People Smuggling, Trafficking in Persons and Related Transnational Crime website contains information on Australia’s multilateral agreements.

·         The Department of Social Services provides information on Australia’s anti-human trafficking strategy.

International Links

·         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, and

-          Protecting Refugees and the Role of UNHCR.

·         United Nations Statistics Division offers a vast array of international demographic and social statistics including those concerning migration.

·         International Organization for Migration (IOM) is a leading international organisation working with migrants and governments on international responses to migration challenges.

·         OECD International Migration 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 to senators and members and their staff via our catalogue).

·         UNODC on Human Trafficking and Migrant Smuggling.

·         World Congress Against the Sexual Exploitation of Children.

·         European Commission, Directorate-General Justice and Home Affairs.

·         Eurasylum links to policy documents, statistics, journals, national authorities and legislation in Europe and internationally.

·         Asylum law.org provides comparisons of international refugee law.

·         European Research Centre On Migration and Ethnic Relations (ERCOMER).

·         European Council on Refugees and Exiles.

·         Immigration New Zealand provides statistical information from across the Tasman.

·         Agencies managing migration in the United Kingdom include:

-          UK Asylum and Immigration Tribunal, and

-          UK Border Agency.

·         Agencies managing migration in the United States of America include:

-          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

-          US Department of State Office to monitor and combat trafficking in persons, and

-          US Citizenship and Immigration Services releases annual reports, monthly statistical reports, factsheets, research papers, supplemental tables, workload data.

·         Citizenship and Immigration Canada was established in 1994 to link immigration services with citizenship registration. Citizenship and Immigration Canada: Research and Statistics contains research plans, statistical reports, technical papers and email newsletters.

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