Latest News

Expanded excision law a new low in refugee protection

The international system of asylum would collapse if other countries followed the lead of Australia in passing legislation to expand its excision policy to the entire country. Read more here.

Right to work fundamental for asylum seeker families

Bridging visas issued to asylum seeker families who arrive by boat must include the right to work to ensure vulnerable people are not left destitute. Read more here.

Detention of children no longer a last resort

The Australian Government is walking further away from its commitment to use detention as a last resort for minors by confirming plans to send children to immigration detention facilities in Darwin and Western Australia. Read more here.

People displaced by climate change require new solutions

The crisis responses necessary and available to refugees will not be an answer to future displacement caused by climate change, the Refugee Council of Australia said today. Read more here.

Government urged to release children from Manus Island detention

RCOA has backed a call by Expert Panel on Asylum Seekers member Paris Aristotle for the Australian Government to ur gently review the policy of keeping children in immigration detention on Manus Island. Read our media release here.

Parliament urged to support Bill to resolve indefinite detention

RCOA has encouraged a Senate Committee to support a Bill before the Australian Parliament to provide alternatives to the prolonged and indefinite detention of recognised refugees with adverse ASIO security assessments. Read more here.

Opposition's denial of appeal rights more punishment for asylum seekers

The Australian Opposition's proposal to deny asylum seekers arriving by boat access to an independent review of their refugee claim is further discrimination based on their mode of arrival. Read more here.

2013-14 Intake Submission released

RCOA's submission on the 2013-14 Refugee and Humanitarian Program is now available for download here. The submission focuses on international refugee needs, the recommendations of the Expert Panel on asylum seekers and community processing of asylum seekers.

Regional refugee protection in Asia-Pacific is unfinished business

The Australian Government must step up efforts to improve the inadequate levels of protection faced by refugees and asylum seekers that drive the movement of dangerous boat journeys from Asia to Australia. Read more here.

Engaging with our members

RCOA consults regularly with our members, gathering feedback and ideas to inform our research and advocacy work.

Read more about: RCOA's members

Register your event

As part of our role as national coordinator of Refugee Week, the Refugee Council of Australia (RCOA) produces a national calendar of Refugee Week events. The calendar will be available on the Refugee Week website and will also be distributed by email to our media and community contacts around Australia.

If you would like to list your event on the calendar, please download and fill in the form below and return it to RCOA by Friday 7 June 2013. Events registered after this date can still be added to the calendar, but we cannot guarantee that they will be uploaded before Refugee Week starts.

2013 Event Registration form (editable electronic version, Word format)
2013 Event Registration form (printable version, PDF format)

E-mail to admin@refugeecouncil.org.au
Fax to (02) 9211 9288
Post to Suite 4A6, 410 Elizabeth Street, Surry Hills NSW 2010

Are you holding a private event?

If you are holding a private event (ie. one which isn’t open to the public), we still encourage you to register it with RCOA so that it can be included in the officially tally of Refugee Week events. Simply tick the “Private” box on the registration form and we won’t list it on the calendar.