Migration, Pathway to Nation Building - Submission 105

Sep 18, 2026

Submission 105 by the Refugee Council of Australia addresses the Joint Standing Committee on Migration’s inquiry on how migration supports nation building. It argues that refugees and humanitarian entrants contribute meaningfully to Australia’s culture, identity, economy and society, even as humanitarian visa grants have reached a multi-decade low. The submission outlines permanent migration and skilled pathway reforms, labour market participation measures, and the role of settlement services and vocational training in enabling employment transitions and sustainable economic and social contributions.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages20

Reading Time50 min

AccessFree to download

Migration, Pathway to Nation Building

Key issues in the submission

Economic contributions of refugees

Migration, Pathway to Nation Building Submission 105 JOINT STANDING COMMITTEE ON MIGRATION MIGRATION, PATHWAY TO NATION BUILDING The Refugee Council of Australia (RCOA) is the national peak body for refugees, people seeking asylum and the organisations and individuals who work with them. RCOA promotes the adoption of humane, lawful and constructive policies by governments and communities in Australia and internationally towards refugees, people seeking asylum and humanitarian entrants. RCOA consults regularly with its members, community leaders and people from refugee backgrounds , and this submission is informed by their views. RCOA welcomes the opportunity to provide a submission to this inquiry by the Joint Standing Committee on Migration. Our submission responds to several issues highlighted in the terms of reference, in particular: • The role of permanent migration in nation building, cultural diversity, and social cohesion; • Immigration as a strategic enabler of vibrant economies and socially sustainable communities in our cities and regional hubs; • Policy settings to strengthen skilled migrant pathways to permanent residency; • Strengthening labour market participation and the economic and social contribution of migrants, including family and humanitarian migrants and the partners of working migrants; and • The role of settlement services and vocational training in utilising migrant experiences, knowledge, and opportunities. Australia has welcomed 950,000 refugees and humanitarian entrants since federation. These people have made a substantial contribution to Australia’s culture, identity, economy and society. However, the Humanitarian Program has fallen to its lowest level in 45 years, when in 2020-21 just 5,749 visas were granted. This inquiry provides an opportunity for the Australian Government to consider how it can continue to recognise and enhance the contributions of refugees and humanitarian entrants, including by fulling the Labor Government’s commitments to increase the program to 27,000 places per year, with 5,000 additional places set aside for community sponsorship.1 We outline successful ways to facilitate refugee employment transitions and economic participation, including: 1 ALP National Platform (2021). [https://alp.org.au/media/2594/2021-alp-national-platform-final-endorsed-platform.pdf](https://alp.org.au/media/2594/2021-alp-national-platform-final-endorsed-platform.pdf) Migration, Pathway to Nation Building Submission 105 Migration, Pathway to Nation Building Submission 105 | Total since 1947 | 625,359 | 200,875 | 34,742 | 860,976 | 79,183 | 940,159 | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Total since 1977-78 | 317,955 | 200,875 | 34,742 | 553,572 | 79,183 | 632,755 | Economic contributions of refugees 1.4 While the objective of the Humanitarian Program is to provide safety and a long-term solution to people in need of international protection, research has also shown the significant contribution that refugee and humanitarian entrants make to Australia’s economy and society, including in the areas of jobs and skills.4 These contributions relate to: • The younger demographic profile and long-term engagement in the Australian labour market of refugee and humanitarian entrants (i.e. a median age 15 years younger than the national average and the lowest settler loss rate of any migrant group) .5 • Many refugees arriving with significant skills, qualifications and overseas work experience relevant to the Australian labour market, including as medical professionals, tradespeople, engineers, business owners, educators and carers.6 • Refugee-humanitarian labour force participation rates converge toward that of the Australia-born population over time. The second generation performs at a higher level.7 • Refugee and humanitarian entrants engage disproportionately in the labour force in some regional areas , and in industries where there are significant labour

FAQs

What is the main purpose of Submission 105 in this inquiry?

It provides a submission to the Joint Standing Committee on Migration on how migration can support nation building, including policies that strengthen pathways to permanent residency and improve labour market and settlement outcomes for refugees and humanitarian entrants.

How does the document describe the impact of refugees and humanitarian entrants on Australia?

It states that refugees and humanitarian entrants have made substantial contributions to Australia’s culture, identity, economy and society, including through jobs and skills, demographic factors, and engagement in labour markets and regional industries with shortages.

What policy areas does the submission highlight as important for improving outcomes?

It highlights permanent migration for cultural diversity and social cohesion, immigration as an enabler of vibrant economies, strengthening skilled migrant pathways to permanent residency, improving labour market participation, and the role of settlement services and vocational training.

Sep 18, 2026

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