Lobby Groups

• Refugee Action Collective
  The Refugee Action Collective in Brisbane is a broad group of concerned people from all walks of life dedicated to fighting for the rights of refugees and asylum seekers, and for the reform of Australia's immigration policies..
• Just Rights Queensland
  JRQ is campaigning for a human rights act for all Queenslanders. That is, we would like to see state parliament enact legislation to protect the rights of all of us and facilitate more opportunities for people to realise their full potential..
• Amnesty International Australia Refugees
  also Amnesty's online petition opposing TPVs.
• We are all boat people
  Great stuff from Sydney-based group.
• Australians Against Racism
  "there comes a time and point in history when silence is betrayal. That time is now. We want to use the mainstream media to speak up and say we do not support what is being done to refugees, asylum seekers and detainees in this country".
• ChilOut
  A group of parents and citizens opposed to the mandatory detention of children in Australian immigration detention centres.
• A Just Australia
  The national campaign umbrella group. Campaign material and lots more. (formerly Australians for Just Refugee Programs).
• Refugee Council of Australia
  Peak body working in support for refugees, community education and policy advice for government. Has up-to-date news and information, relevant statistics, coming events and extensive links.
• Victorian Refugee Action Collective
  Lots of information. Also contains archived journal of the Freedom Bus tour which visited detention centres across Australia during January and February 2002.
• ACT Refugee Action Committee
  
• Justice for Refugees SA
  Justice for Refugees SA aims to advocate, lobby and build community support for the just and humane treatment of refugees and asylum seekers by the Australian government.
• BARC! - Brisbane Actionweb for Refugee Collaboration
  A tool for all in SE Qld and Northern NSW who care about asylum seekers.
• XBorder
  Analysis and perspectives on closing the camps.
• Volunteers In Support of Asylum Seekers
  A loose cluster of artists, cultural workers and friends who resist the current actions toward people who are seeking asylum in Australia.
• Refugee Royal Commission
  Calling for a Royal Commission into the treatment of Asylum Seekers in Australia.
• Spare Rooms For Refugees
  Connections for people who can host refugees in their home.
• Federation of Ethnic Communities' Council of Australia
  Advocates for the rights of Australians from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds.
• Scattered People
  Stories and songs from Refugees, also Xmas cards and CDs for sale.
• Project Safecom
  Advocates community release and participation in the refugee approval process and informing Australians about compliance with UN conventions.
• Coalition for Justice for Refugees (CfJfR)
  National Coalition of volunteers working to educate the community and tell to the world about Australia's current lack of respect for human rights.
• Launceston Peace Action Network
  Meets monthly to discuss ways to assist people detained in Australian centres.
• Australian National Committee on Refugee Women
  Lobbying, advocacy and research group which works with and for refugee women.
• Tasmanians for Refugees
  Tasmanians for Refugees is a coalition of individuals who are working to bring about change to Australian Government policies and support asylum seekers and refugees on Temporary Protection Visas.
• Port Augusta Rural Australians for Refugees
  The Port Augusta branch of RAR formed in response to the opening of the Baxter Immigration and Detention Facility in October 2002. Our Purpose is to make life more bearable for the people detained in the centre, improve community attitudes to people detained in the centre and provide support to each other.
• Quilt for Refugees
  This Illawarra-based group uses quilting as a means of delivering a message throughout the community. We hope that the stories depicted in the quilts inspire people to join with us in expressing our concerns.
• Australian Refugee History
  Aims to reduce racism, using The Historical Record for plays, books and news articles to expose acts of bigotry and racism used by politicians and others for their own advantage.
• Don't Deport Nak and Charoon Assa Petition
  Don't let the Australian government deport a 15 year old and his father, don't let the Australian government split a family apart!
• Researchers for Asylum Seekers (RAS)
  Researchers for Asylum Seekers (RAS) are a group of academics and students at the University of Melbourne who are concerned about the current treatment of asylum seekers in Australia. RAS aims to raise awareness of the plight of asylum seekers through forums, conferences, research and the distribution of information on asylum seeker issues.
• Australian catholic social justice council
  Publications, media releases and links related to social justice issues

Refugee Support Groups

• Nazari Foundation
  Nazari Foundation's mission is to assist rural people in Afghanistan, especially widows and orphans, those displaced by war and those returning to their homelands after years of conflict.
• Edmund Rice Centre
  Sydney organisation researching, teaching and lobbying on poverty and inequity in Australian society.
• Refugee Claimants Support Centre
  Brisbane-based centre providing lots of services for refugees, including language classes, no-interest loans and assistance with accommodation.
• Sudanese Australian Integrated Learning (SAIL) Program
  The SAIL Program is a not-for-profit, secular, volunteer-run organisation that provides free services to the Sudanese refugee community in Melbourne's western suburbs. Free services include one-on-one English support, a Home Help Service, extra-curricula activities, camps and excursions, a pick-up service, a computer loans scheme and a free lunch every Saturday.
• Asylum Seeker Resource Centre
  The Asylum Seeker Resource Centre is Australia's largest aid agency for asylum seekers. A independent, registered charity that promotes and protects the human rights of asylum seekers through our 20 direct advocacy and aid programs.
• Anglicare Refugee and Migrant Services
  ARMS is dedicated to creating a more inclusive multicultural society through the implementation of a variety of needs-based services. These services include family support, employment assistance, and assistance with literacy at our own literacy centre.
• The Association of Hazaras in Victoria
  Established in 2002 by Hazara TPV holders in Victoria trying to help fellow Hazara and Afghan refugees in their cases for permanent protection visas.
• Association for Services to Torture and Trauma Survivors
  ASeTTS is a Perth-based non profit, non government organisation providing treatment and support to people who have been tortured or traumatized by violent conflicts.
• Multicultural Development Association
  MDA is the lead agency in a consortium providing comprehensive settlement support. MDA's Refugee Settlement Service (RSS) provides case coordination for all humanitarian entrants and refugees settling in Brisbane.
• QPASTT
  Queensland Programme of Assistance to Survivors of Torture and Trauma www.qpastt.org.au. Aims to provide assistance to people who have undergone, witnessed, or experienced torture or trauma, in or during flight from their homes and countries, or have experienced political, ethnic or religious victimisation or war.
• Australian Lawyers for Human Rights
  ALHR is a network of Australian lawyers active in practising and promoting awareness of international human rights standards in Australia.
• Australian Refugee Association
  ARA seeks to enable refugees to settle in Australia with independence and dignity, and to develop and achieve their aspirations and opportunities in life. It provides advice, assistance and advocacy in settlement, migration, employment, community education and policy.
• Victorian Foundation for Survivors of Torture
  The Foundation's services include direct care to survivors of torture and trauma [e.g. counselling] and training other service providers who have contact with survivors.
• Ethnic Communities Council of Queensland
  The Ethnic Communities Council of Queensland (ECCQ) was established in 1976 to represent the interests of the many people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds (CALD) who are part of the broad social community of Queensland, and to promote multiculturalism.
• Refugee Council
  A non-profit peak organisation. It provides information on and advocacy for refugees and humanitarian entrants in Australia on behalf of its 90 organisational members and many individual members. It is not a part of the Australian Government. Contains information, analysis and ideas for ways to help.
• VoRTCS
  Aims to assist and encourage refugee families to take up the opportunities available to all Australians, whether they be educational, social or vocational.
• Queensland Integrated Refugee Community Health
  QIRCH Clinic provides an integrated, coordinated and culturally sensitive service to people of a refugee background settling into Australia, and those without access to Medicare.
• Refugee and Immigration Legal service
  The Refugee and Immigration Legal Service (RAILS) provides free legal assistance in immigration and refugee cases to people in need.
• Harmony Place
  Provide direct services to consumers and their families and carers from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds to relieve the suffering and distress caused by mental illness.
• Multilink community services
  Provide coordinated, creative and responsive programs that meet the needs of our culturally diverse communities.

Information

• Settlement Council of Australia
  The Settlement Council of Australia (SCOA) is the national peak body representing migrant and refugee settlement agencies across Australia.
• Temporary Protection Visas
  Blog entry by Andrew Bartlett.
• Comparisons - Seeking Asylum in Australian and Canada
  Detailed comparison of Australia and Canada's onshore asylum seeker systems.
• Asylum Seekers, Irregular Migrants, Refugees and Human Rights News
  Newsgroup with up-to-date information.
• Project SafeCom
  Organisation aiming at providing safe haven for displaced people. Good background info on refugees.
• Illywhacker
  Terrific independent site.
• Maribyrnong Detention Centre Watch
  Website dedicated to the people locked up in Maribyrnong Detention Centre.
• SIEV-X
  Did the Australian Government contribute to the deaths of 300 women and children?
• Islam Australia Network
  Information about Islam in Australia for anyone who is interested in understanding and helping Muslim refugees.
• Uniya Jesuit Social Justice Centre
  Uniya is a social justice research centre which seeks to respond to regional and global justice challenges. Its current focus is the plight of refugees, Australia's response to asylum seekers and Australia's role in the region of the Pacific and South East Asia.
• Refugee Health Research Centre
  RHRC is an innovative partnership between a La Trobe University and non-profit community organisation VFST integrating research and education with service delivery to build public awareness about refugee health and settlement issues both in Australia and globally.
• Centre for Refugee Research
  One of four such centres world wide which investigates the issues and needs associated with refugee movement and resettlement.
• Refugee Studies Group
  This is a cross-institutional, cross-disciplinary research forum focussed on research into refugees' rights, settlement needs, asylum policy, and the role of NGOs.
• Refugees Australia
  A directory of most of the major refugee related websites in Australia.
• Refugee Claimants Support Centre
  If you are looking for community education material Refugee Claimants Support Centre has developed a number of resources that may be of use.