18 December 2013
PDF version [296KB]
Gareth Larsen
Social Policy
This Quick Guide provides key internet links to information about:
Note: administrative arrangements announced on 18 September 2013 have altered departmental responsibility for settlement and multicultural affairs. Therefore, links to the Australian Government websites listed below may change as new arrangements take effect.
Note: A separate immigration quick guide is available for Permanent and temporary migration.
General resources
- The Department of Immigration and Border Protection (DIBP) is responsible for managing and reporting on entry, stay and departure arrangements for non-citizens, citizenship, ethnic affairs and customs and border control, providing a large array of statistical, research and policy-related information.
- The Department of Social Services has responsibility for settlement and multicultural affairs, including Humanitarian Settlement Services, Settlement Grants Program, Complex Case Support, Diversity and Social Cohesion Program, Multicultural Arts and Festivals Grants, and Building Multicultural Communities Programme.
- The Department of Industry has responsibility for the Adult Migrant English Program (AMEP).
- The Australian Bureau of Statistics collects national and regional data along with select data from DIBP.
- The Migration Institute of Australia produces various reports, research and submissions on issues relevant to Registered Migration Agents (RMAs) and other migration professionals.
- The Office of the Migration Agents Registration Authority (MARA) is an advisory board to consider and provide advice in relation to migration agents.
- The Parliamentary Library offers research briefs and general distribution publications on current legislation and on a wide range of other issues of interest to the Parliament including immigration.
- The Fair Work Ombudsman offers a single point of contact to get accurate and timely information about Australia’s workplace relations system.
- The Joint Standing Committee on Migration reports on a variety of issues relating to migrants and humanitarian entrants and conducts inquiries on migration-related matters.
- The Refugee Council of Australia is the national umbrella body for refugees.
- The Australian Human Rights Commission provides resources on the rights of refugees and asylum seekers.
- The Migration Act 1958 underpins migration policy in Australia.
Broad Overview of Immigration
- For a broad overview of Australian immigration, the Parliamentary Library offers the following publications:
- The following DIBP fact sheets and publications provide summaries across immigration matters:
- Online forms contain visa information and requirements.
- Annual reports provide information and statistics and report on program outcomes. 1996–97 to 2012–13.
- LEGENDcom is the migration law database on DIBP’s website.
- The Government issues departmental and ministerial media releases across a range of immigration matters.
- DIBP publishes statistics including arrivals and departures, detention and migration program matters.
- The Australian Bureau of Statistics is Australia's official statistical organisation and publishes statistics and publications on humanitarian arrivals.
Asylum Seekers and Humanitarian Entrants
- The Parliamentary Library provides a range of publications on asylum and refugee issues, including:
- Bills Digests help distil legislative changes. Recent releases include:
- DIBP offers various statistical resources including:
- DIBP publishes research publications and information on refugee and humanitarian issues, including:
- DIBP also releases a range of special publications including:
- DIBP releases fact sheets in the areas of asylum, refugee and detention policy, including:
- The Commonwealth Ombudsman is required to provide an assessment of the appropriateness of the arrangements for a person's long-term detention with reports tabled in Parliament.
- The Refugee Council of Australia provides research, advocacy, policy analysis and community education on refugee-related matters.
Human Trafficking
- The Parliamentary Library publishes research on people trafficking. Recent publications include:
- The Australian Institute of Criminology publishes reports on trafficking in persons drawing on a range of sources including administrative data from the International Organization for Migration (IOM) Indonesia. These include:
- The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade releases information on people trafficking in persons.
- The Australian Federal Police provides data and information on human trafficking.
- The Attorney-General’s Department provides fact sheets and guidelines on Australia’s responses to trafficking.
- The Bali Process on People Smuggling, Trafficking in Persons and Related Transnational Crime website contains information on Australia’s multilateral agreements.
- The Department of Social Services provides information on Australia’s anti-human trafficking strategy.
International Links
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