Informal social infrastructure such as cafes and libraries as well as local acquaintances can be important in supporting migrant settlement, according to a leading social anthropologist. Giving the keynote speech at the recent Welcoming Australia Symposium in Melbourne, researcher Professor…

A record 61 million people were displaced within their own countries last year as result of conflict or natural disaster, a new report from the United Nations reveals. The number represents a 60 per cent rise on the previous year…

The US Government has extended the temporary status of Afghan refugees so they will be able to continue to live and work in the US.  The US’ Department of Homeland Security announced recently that Afghan nationals who arrived in the…

Spain has quietly transformed itself into a major migrant destination and is reaping economic benefits from its innovative and inclusive immigration policies. This is the scenario described in a new report from the Migration Policy Institute which found that Spain…

The United Arab Emirates has been accused of arbitrarily detaining at least 2,400 Afghan asylum seekers who were evacuated from Kabul following the Taliban’s takeover in August 2021. The NGO Human Rights Watch (HRW) says the Afghans, who include children,…

The cost of living measures in the 2023 Federal Budget will give relief to vulnerable families and individuals, including migrants and refugees. The budget includes more funding for Medicare which will see $5.7 billion spent on lowering the cost of…

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugee Filippo Grandi has outlined a new and multi-faceted approach to deal with the global challenge of forced displacement. Speaking at the University of Melbourne’s Law School last week, Mr Grandi described his vision…

Local Karen refugees have joined in and helped the community in the town of Nhill, in Victoria’s Mallee district, commemorate Anzac Day. About 30 members of the Karen community turned out to attend the traditional dawn service. And other members…

A massive humanitarian and refugee crisis is emerging in Sudan as fighting between military factions intensifies. So far, more than 420 people, including 264 civilians, have been killed in the conflict and almost 3,800 injured. The sudden slide into violence…

It’s a slow-burn global movement that was recently manifest locally on the steps of Victoria’s Parliament House. A democracy push by Iranian exiles envisages the country’s exiled crown prince Reza Pahlavi as the key to a return to secular freedom…

The right to asylum is enshrined in the 1951 Refugee Convention, which was a response to the aftermath of WWII which saw millions of refugees displaced and in need of protection. The convention – and a later amendment known as…

Australia needs more nuanced language to describe the nation’s diversity, the author of a new report argues. Writing the latest Scanlon Foundation ‘narrative’, researcher Trish Prentice says that labels are useful, but they also present a challenge. “By reducing an…