The Government has commissioned an independent review into the integration, employment and settlement outcomes for refugee and humanitarian migrants to Australia.

The review will provide advice to the Government on how to better support refugees and humanitarian entrants to make valuable contributions to our social fabric and our economy. It will recommend options to improve integration, employment and settlement outcomes.

The review will be led by prominent academic Professor Peter Shergold AC. Multicultural Development Australia chief executive officer Kerrin Benson and Margaret Piper, member of Joint Partnership Working Group on Refugee Resettlement, will sit on the advisory panel.

Refugees and humanitarian entrants have always played an important role in enriching the Australian community and building our strong economy, and the Government is focused on ensuring refugees continue to be supported to make a seamless transition to life in Australia.

This means ensuring people can find their feet, gain employment and contribute to their new communities as soon as they are able. Having a job also helps new arrivals to integrate into Australian society – it gives people financial independence, increases their personal connections and is one of the quickest ways to improve their language skills.

Professor Shergold will conduct targeted consultations with stakeholders across settlement, industry and academic sectors and report to the Government in February 2019.

Terms of reference for the review

The Government has now released the final report Investing in Refugees, Investing in Australia: the findings of a Review into Integration, Employment and Settlement Outcomes for Refugees and Humanitarian Entrants in Australia. The report and the Australian Government’s response to the review can be found on the Department of Home Affairs’ website:

https://www.homeaffairs.gov.au/reports-and-publications/reviews-and-inquiries/inquiries/review-integration-employment-settlement-outcomes-refugees-humanitarian-entrants