The Romero Centre was set up in March 2000 to be a place of welcome and support for refugees, the so called "boat people" who were released from Department of Immigration detention centres in remote northern Australia and taken by bus to Brisbane.

Most of them were men from Iraq, Iran and Afghanistan and were granted only Temporary Protection Visas valid for three years. These temporary visas were issued despite having had their refugee status confirmed. They were eligible for only a limited range of government services, not the normal settlement services given to refugees.

Those days are now past, with the Rudd Government's ending of indefinite detention, the Pacific Solution and the abolition of the Temporary Protection Visa (TPV).

The Centre now provides support and services to former detainees and TPV holders and their families - often still suffering the legacy of the harmful policies of detention and temporary protection. The Centre also acts as an advocacy centre for refugees, organises activities for refugee families, and aims to educate the community about the refugee experience.