Refugee Council of Australia (RCOA) Updates

The harm of offshore detention is well documented, with over 14 deaths, medical neglect, child abuse, and both physical and sexual assault. Despite this, Australia continues to operate a policy of...

The global refugee population reached an all-time high in 2024, yet less than 6% of refugees receive resettlement. With the US resettlement program suspended under President Trump, Australia has an...

The Refugee Council of Australia (RCOA) is deeply concerned by the findings of the Commonwealth National Preventive Mechanism (NPM’s) inspection of detention facilities aboard the MV Besant and ADV...

Last night, the Federal Government delivered its 2025-26 Budget. As we do every year, we’ve analysed the Budget to determine what it means for refugees and people seeking asylum in Australia. While...

The Refugee Council of Australia (RCOA) has urged the Australian Government to increase urgent humanitarian assistance to refugees displaced in Asia, as cuts to US foreign aid have left communities...

As the world marks the third anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the Refugee Council of Australia (RCOA) has urged the Australian Government to apply lessons learned from the national...

The Refugee Council of Australia welcomes the announcement today that the Community Refugee Integration and Settlement Pilot (CRISP) will now be made a permanent part of Australia’s humanitarian...

The Refugee Council of Australia (RCOA) is alarmed that the Australian Government has struck a deal with Nauru to begin implementing draconian new legislation it passed to thwart a High Court...

The Refugee Council of Australia (RCOA) welcomes the announcement of a ceasefire agreement in Gaza, and the commitment to end the fighting, facilitate the release of hostages and increase...

This statement is delivered on behalf of 109 NGOs, including humanitarian organizations with operations in countries covered by the GHO. We are witnessing unspeakable human suffering due to the...

The Refugee Council of Australia (RCOA) is deeply dismayed at the passage of the trio of brutal migration bills that the Albanese Government and the Opposition combined forces to ram through...

The Refugee Council of Australia (RCOA) is deeply alarmed by a new Bill introduced to Federal Parliament which aims to impose further restrictions on people held in Australia’s already tightly...

The Refugee Council of Australia (RCOA) calls on the Australian Government to re-consider the Migration Amendment Bill and for all Parliamentarians to take time to consider the far-reaching...

Today, the Australian Council for International Development (ACFID) alongside 26 development, humanitarian and affiliated agencies have sent an open letter to Australian Parliamentarians seeking...

The Refugee Council of Australia (RCOA) is calling on the Australian Government to stick to its commitment to increase its resettlement places for Rohingya refugees, as we mark seven years since the...

The Refugee Council of Australia (RCOA) welcomes the bill proposed by MP Kylea Tink to limit detention of people seeking asylum to 90 days and prohibit the detention of children. The bill aligns with...

Three years ago today, the Taliban declared an ‘interim government’ in Afghanistan, following the fall of the Afghan National Security Forces and the government. As a result of Taliban rule, a major...

In Southeast Asia, over 400,000 refugees and asylum seekers face significant humanitarian challenges. This report details Australia’s strategy to enhance regional refugee protection, driven by...

The Australian Government’s failure to find solutions for more than 1000 refugees sent to offshore detention in 2013 and 2014 must prompt urgent rethinking of its offshore processing policy, the...