Immigration issues

This week, Australia celebrates the one million refugees who’ve made a home here since the end of World War Two. While some employers are offering new jobs and training, there are also calls to cut the refugee intake and some initiatives are at risk.

The New South Wales government has unveiled the state's first Migrant Workers Centre to support temporary visa holders. It means migrant workers in Sydney now have a dedicated hub to seek help over work exploitation. It’s backed by $6.5 million in state funding over the next four years to provide workplace, safety and immigration support to vulnerable migrants across the state.

Opposition leader Angus Taylor has outlined the Coalition's new hardline immigration policy. The plan has drawn widespread criticism and strong condemnation from critics, including Labor and human rights groups.

A local program in Darwin is helping refugees and new migrants connect with their community, while building life-long friendships. The walking group may be simple, but organisers say at a time when more people are facing conflict and displacement, the initiative provides a welcome escape.

Australia is set to issue its one millionth permanent humanitarian visa since the end of World War II as early as the end of this year. The milestone has prompted celebration over the immense contribution refugees make to Australia's national story. But refugee rights organisations say it's a pertinent time to consider how Australia can improve its response to mass global displacement.

Diwali is the biggest festival in India and many South Asian countries, marking the victory of good over evil and the triumph of light over darkness. It is celebrated by more than a billion people around the world, including diaspora communities in Australia.

The Queensland city of Toowoomba has become home to thousands of Yazidi refugees. A local hockey program is aiming to develop confidence and language skills for this community, with the help of retired locals on the field.

It's been eight years since the United Nations first recognised International Translation Day. The celebration falls on 30 September and recognises the work of language professionals who foster cultural understanding, connection and social cohesion. But some translators and interpreters in Australia believe more needs to be done to protect the workforce and bridge language barriers.

Thousands are celebrating becoming new Australians, as local councils hosted ceremonies around the country for Australian Citizenship Day. SBS spoke to some of the new citizens.

Making a chicken curry on stage is not what you would usually expect when visiting the theatre. But for actor Joshua Jamil Hinton, it's the centrepiece of his show, due to open in Brisbane this month, telling his story of living between different cultures and grappling with his own identity.

Australia in anti-immigration marches.At the heart of what organisers called the 'March for Australia' rallies was a call to end "mass migration", which protesters claimed is to blame for issues like the housing crisis and rise in cost of living. Experts say a paradox exists in the anti-immigration ideas put forward at these rallies: the very people protesters want fewer of are the ones propping up the nation's economy, workforce, and future.

A wave of nation-wide anti-immigration rallies have swept Australia's capital cities, with thousands joining marches and clashing with police and counter-protesters across the country. Organisers say the events were calling for an end to what they consider "mass migration" into Australia, while neo-Nazi groups infiltrated a number of the events to stir up chaos.

The Federal Government has struck a $400 million deal with Nauru that it says paves the way for deportation of the so-called NZYQ cohort. The announcement has been met with outrage from advocates, human rights lawyers, and the Greens. Critics say the deal threatens fundamental legal rights in ways that could be applied more broadly.

As international aid dwindles, refugees worldwide face worsening food insecurity. Among thousands displaced by ongoing conflict in Myanmar, experts warn a humanitarian crisis is looming. Those who’ve found refuge in Australia are working to keep culture alive.

The federal government has announced there'll be 22 grants made to social enterprises to help support marginalised communities. It's part of an $11 million investment aimed at tackling issues like long-term unemployment and discrimination.

A group of refugees who say they've been living in limbo in Australia for 13 years have taken their fight for permanent residency to federal parliament in Canberra.They're part of a group of more than 8,000 people who had their refugee protection claims rejected under a now-abolished visa system.

A third of young workers in Australia are being paid less than $15 an hour - that's almost ten dollars below the minimum hourly wage. It's one of the key findings of a Melbourne University report showing 15 to 30 year olds are experiencing widespread breaches of labour laws. And those from non-English speaking backgrounds were shown to be the worst treated in the workplace.

Ahmad and his family have spent the past three and a half years living in limbo after fleeing the Taliban for Pakistan. He has now waited more than 42 months to hear a response to his Refugee and Humanitarian visa application from the Australian government. As Pakistani authorities boost efforts to deport migrants like Ahmad's family back to Afghanistan, he is fearing persecution and even death at the hands of the Taliban.

It was a tense week for families with loved ones in the Middle East – especially for one Melbourne mother separated from her three sons in Iran. When phone and internet failed, she did not know if they had survived.

Since 2024, the federal government has launched several policies to restrict international student numbers, including raising the fees for student visa applications, and slowing down the processing time for visas. The new rules have significantly affected the independent education sectors, which provide English learning and vocational education to international students, leading to closures of some of these institutions.

The Internationally renowned slam poet known as Huda the Goddess has officially claimed the UNHCR-SBS Les Murray Award for Refugee Recognition. The honours coincide with World Refugee Day, which celebrates refugees and their contribution to society.

This year, SBS marks 50 years of broadcasting, providing an important service to multicultural Australia through promoting inclusion and delivering in-language information. It's also the 50th anniversary of the biggest wave of Timorese migration to Australia. Fleeing conflict, the community has established its roots across the country while maintaining its language and traditions.

As the world marks 50 years since the fall of Saigon and end of the Vietnam War, a group of adoptees who were taken out of the country prior to 1975 are racing against time to find the mothers they were separated from. An event spearheaded by Australian-Vietnamese adoptees saw a group of them embark on a bike ride to raise money for elderly Vietnamese residents and spread awareness of their ongoing search for family.

A new report has highlighted alarming mental health outcomes for individuals who have spent time in detention. Refugees and migrants already experience lower rates of mental health literacy - but one initiative is looking to raise awareness and provide easy English resources in culturally and linguistically diverse communities. The initiative has emerged amid debate about controversial laws that would enable the government to deport any individual without a visa to a third country.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio says more than 300 foreign student visas may have been revoked under the Trump Administration's immigration crackdown. But the tactics used by the State Department have come under fire after the street arrest of a 30-year-old PhD student it claims was a Hamas supporter. Protesters say there's no evidence of that, describing her arrest and visa cancellation as an attack on free speech.

Many people waiting for permanent residency on a certain subclass of visa say delays in granting Permanent Residency by the Department of Home Affairs have left them in limbo, and their lives on hold. They don't feel like their contributions to Australia - and particularly the contributions they made through the COVID pandemic - are being adequately repaid.

The federal government has announced that the Community Refugee Integration and Settlement Pilot - known as CRISP - will become permanent. The initiative, launched in mid 2022, has helped over 500 refugees to be settled by community groups across Australia.

New Zealand has announced that wealthy investors need only spend 21 days in the country over three years to gain permanent residency under new conditions for so-called "golden ticket" visas. A similar visa scheme in Australia was scrapped by the government last year, but the Federal Opposition has signalled it could be reinstated if elected.

There has been an uptick in migration from Mongolia to Australia, As a result, New South Wales Public Schools have experienced a 40 per cent growth in students from Mongolian backgrounds for two years running - encouraging one school to become a hub for the community. And this story has been produced in collaboration with SBS Mongolian.

Ten extraordinary audio recordings illustrating Australia’s cultural and political landscape have been added to the National Film & Sound Archive’s Sounds of Australia collection. The 2024 additions include the first Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander Australian to use recorded sound to document Aboriginal culture, hip hop, speeches, a theme tune, the launch of what is now SBS Audio, an advertising jingle for an iconic Australian beer, and the last known recording of a now-extinct species.

Settling into a new country is a daunting prospect. But a study over 10-years has found there are a variety of positive outcomes that refugees can experience in their first decade of living in Australia. Still, many face challenges with renewed calls for better policies to assist those who are struggling.

Labor's package of migration legislation will pass the Senate, with the Coalition agreeing to pass the three bills. The changes to the Migration Act would give the immigration minister powers to impose blanket visa bans on countries, pay third countries to deport non-citizens, and ban items like phones from detention centres.

Australia is increasingly eager to welcome temporary migrant workers from the Pacific into farm and food processing jobs. But a NSW parliamentary inquiry into modern slavery is set to examine the significant risks these workers can face.

Asylum seekers are still calling on Labor to fulfil its election pledge and end their visa uncertainty, after thousands of refugee claims were rejected under a Coalition-era assessment scheme. They're part of a silent protest at the Home Affairs Minister's office which has now gone on for more than 70 days.

International student commencements will be capped next year as the government tries to limit overseas migration. Education Minister Jason Clare says the caps will make the international education sector fairer, but many universities have opposed the plan.

Refugees and asylum seekers in high-income countries struggle to find stable, affordable housing, which can negatively affect their health. A Flinders University study has identified barriers like language, lack of rental references, and discrimination are affecting migrants seeking homes in their new home.

Is Australia's great multicultural experiment over? That's what two experts on immigration and international relations have asked in an address to the National Press Club in Canberra. They're calling for a new understanding of net migration and the role of international students if the project is to be saved.

The government is under increasing pressure over immigration after the visa of a New Zealand national guilty of rape was reinstated by the Administrative Appeals Tribunal. The Coalition is calling on the federal government to scrap a ministerial direction that requires courts to consider an individual's ties to Australia when reviewing visa cancellations.

A new age cap on a popular graduate visa is leaving many international PhD students in Australia facing uncertain futures. Many say they will be forced to leave the country due to changes set to be made to Temporary Graduate Visa Class 485.

A new study has found children from migrant and refugee backgrounds are more likely to be developmentally vulnerable when starting school, causing repercussions which could carry into adulthood. Researchers say a collaborative response is needed from government, early-education providers and providers of settlement services.

A refugee advocacy service says granting permanent residency to the 'Bollard Man' who risked his life to protect others shows how 'broken' the immigration system is. While those working in the immigration sector support the man being given residency, organisations says its important the thousands of other visa holders who've contributed to the Australian community yet are still waiting for security are not forgotten.

There are people who show incredible resilience under the most difficult circumstances and Hedayat Osyan is one of them. The 32 year-old fled Afghanistan 15 years ago and has since built a thriving business helping others. Now he's been honoured with the UNHCR Les Murray Award for Refugee Recognition.

For many refugees, starting life in a new country can be overwhelming but a supportive community can help navigate the many challenges. That's the idea behind an innovative pilot program which recruits small groups of volunteers to help and mentor refugees for 12 months after arrival. Now there are calls to expand the program to make it easier for Australians to sponsor family members or refugees they already know.

As Muslims get ready to celebrate the end of the fasting month of Ramadan, cultural delicacies are being prepared by a diverse range of food businesses. Among them, several new ventures given a helping hand by a unique a social enterprise.

In Melbourne's outer west, a free basketball clinic has been tapping into the potential of the young African community. The program is aimed at getting children active and engaged, coming from an area with a high migrant and refugee population.

An initiative offering free swimming lessons in some of Australia's diverse communities is hoping to address a critical gap in water skills and safety. The move comes as migrants continue to be over-represented in Australia's drowning statistics.

There are about 9,000 asylum seekers who arrived in Australia over a decade ago and who remain caught in a Coalition-era system designed to 'fast-track' their claims. Thousands of them were children when they first came to Australia; they're now young adults with restrictive six-month bridging visas, living with the fear they could be deported from the country they now call home. A group of crossbenchers and refugee advocates is demanding the Immigration Minister end the decade-long delay and offer these migrants permanent status.

The United Nations is highlighting the achievements of African diaspora around the world. But underlying the successes are ongoing challenges people of African descent are facing in their own countries. So how can Australia adapt to make the most of its multicultural communities?

Immigration detention is set to dominate Australian politics this week, as the government prepares for another High Court case that could see more than 100 people released. An Iranian man, known as ASF 17, will argue his case in the High Court next month.

Australia's intelligence chief says foreign interference remains at its highest level in the country's history, threatening Australia's social cohesion. Multicultural communities are vulnerable to foreign interference, which involves clandestine, coercive and disruptive operations by foreign actors and their proxies infiltrating the diaspora. The government has previously singled out the Iranian regime as an offender, revealing a foreign interference plot which targeted an Iranian-Australian had been foiled by security agencies. This report looks at three communities in Australia whose members have told SBS News that cases of intimidation and spying are escalating - and becoming increasingly brazen.