[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"detail-sidebar-cat-0-en-105":3,"doc-seo-294726-105":59,"doc-detail-294726-en":123},{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":6},0,"success",[7,13,18,23,28,33,38,43,48,51,55],{"id":8,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":10,"show_sort_weight":11,"slug":12},1,"Document","Story & Novel",90,"story-novel",{"id":14,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":15,"show_sort_weight":16,"slug":17},2,"Literature",80,"literature",{"id":19,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":20,"show_sort_weight":21,"slug":22},4,"Exam",70,"exam",{"id":24,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":25,"show_sort_weight":26,"slug":27},5,"Comic",60,"comic",{"id":29,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":30,"show_sort_weight":31,"slug":32},6,"Technology",50,"technology",{"id":34,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":35,"show_sort_weight":36,"slug":37},7,"Healthcare",40,"healthcare",{"id":39,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":40,"show_sort_weight":41,"slug":42},8,"Research & Report",30,"research-report",{"id":44,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":45,"show_sort_weight":46,"slug":47},9,"Religion & Spirituality",20,"religion-spirituality",{"id":46,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":49,"show_sort_weight":46,"slug":50},"World Cup","world-cup",{"id":52,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":53,"show_sort_weight":52,"slug":54},10,"Lifestyle","lifestyle",{"id":56,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":9,"category_name":57,"show_sort_weight":24,"slug":58},19,"General","general",{"code":4,"msg":60,"data":61},"ok",{"site_id":62,"language":63,"slug":64,"title":65,"keywords":66,"description":67,"schema_data":68,"social_meta":116,"head_meta":118,"extra_data":120,"updated_unix":122},105,"en","response-to-proposed-changes-to-the-test-for-australian-citizenship-rcoa","Response to Proposed Changes to the Test for Australian Citizenship - RCOA","","Response to proposed changes to the test for Australian citizenship submitted by the Refugee Council of Australia (RCOA). The submission argues that citizenship is essential to humane integration and social cohesion, and that tightening eligibility and English requirements may exclude the most vulnerable refugee and humanitarian entrants. It highlights the special significance of citizenship as a durable form of protection and equal rights, and calls for evidence-based, inclusive pathways that support settlement and participation rather than divisive rhetoric.",{"@graph":69,"@context":115},[70,84,106],{"@type":71,"itemListElement":72},"BreadcrumbList",[73,77,79,82],{"item":74,"name":75,"@type":76,"position":8},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",{"item":78,"name":9,"@type":76,"position":14},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/",{"item":80,"name":40,"@type":76,"position":81},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/research-report/",3,{"item":83,"name":65,"@type":76,"position":19},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/response-to-proposed-changes-to-the-test-for-australian-citizenship-rcoa/294726/",{"url":83,"name":65,"@type":85,"image":86,"author":91,"headline":65,"publisher":94,"fileFormat":97,"inLanguage":63,"description":67,"dateModified":98,"datePublished":99,"encodingFormat":97,"isAccessibleForFree":100,"interactionStatistic":101},"DigitalDocument",{"url":87,"@type":88,"width":89,"height":90},"https://docshare.wps.com/thumbnails/response-to-proposed-changes-to-the-test-for-australian-citizenship-rcoa/294726.png","ImageObject",300,407,{"name":92,"@type":93},"Well Done","Person",{"url":74,"name":95,"@type":96},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-10-25","2026-09-18",true,{"@type":102,"interactionType":103,"userInteractionCount":105},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":104},"ViewAction",13,{"@type":107,"mainEntity":108},"FAQPage",[109],{"name":110,"@type":111,"acceptedAnswer":112},"How does the submission justify its view that the changes may harm social cohesion?","Question",{"text":113,"@type":114},"RCOA argues that excluding vulnerable groups contradicts the goal of building a cohesive society and denies citizenship to those who value it most highly.","Answer","https://schema.org",{"og:url":83,"og:type":117,"og:title":65,"og:site_name":95,"og:description":67},"article",{"robots":119,"canonical":83},"index,follow",{"doc_id":121,"site_id":62},294726,1789701166,{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":124},{"doc_id":121,"user_id":125,"nickname":92,"user_avatar":126,"doc_module":4,"category_id":39,"category_name":40,"doc_title":65,"doc_description":67,"doc_content":127,"file_id":128,"file_url":129,"file_type":130,"file_size":131,"view_count":105,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":8,"is_downloadable":8,"audit_status":8,"page_count":132,"language":133,"language_code":63,"site_id":62,"html_lang":63,"table_of_contents":134,"faqs":135,"seo_title":136,"seo_description":67,"update_tm":122,"read_time":137,"preview_page_count":4},5909892210082,"https://ap-avatar.wpscdn.com/avatar/56001069da27c9f41e8?x-image-process=image/resize,m_fixed,w_180,h_180&k=1789614185077863061","DEPARTMENT OF IMMIGRATION AND BORDER PROTECTION  \nRESPONSE TO PROPOSED CHANGES TO THE TEST FOR AUSTRALIAN CITIZENSHIP  \nThe Refugee Council of Australia (RCOA) is the national umbrella body for refugees, people seeking asylum and the organisations and individuals who work with them, representing over 190 organisations and 1,000 individual members. 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.  \nRCOA expresses its deep concern at the changes to the test and requirements for Australian citizenship proposed in the Discussion Paper. The inclusive nature of Australian citizenship is a crucial element in the success of our multicultural society. Gaining “citizenship should be an enabling, positive and welcoming process for applicants and one which is seen to contribute to building a cohesive and dynamic nation.”1  \nFor refugee and humanitarian entrants, Australian citizenship has a special significance. Gaining citizenship marks both their integration into their new country and the end of their displacement. For many, it will mark the first time they have experienced the protection of a State, rather than its persecution. Citizenship provides them with the safety they need to settle and to heal, and gives them the security to build and imagine their new lives. For this reason, most refugees and humanitarian entrants are eager to apply for citizenship as soon as they can, and prize it highly.  \nThe Government has justified the proposed changes as ways to improve social cohesion and to ensure that citizenship is valued.2 Yet by effectively excluding some people from citizenship, these proposals will undermine social cohesion, and deny citizenship to those who value it most highly. Indeed, the proposed changes are most likely to affect those who are most vulnerable.  \nOur submission sets out our key concerns about these proposals, including:  \n􀁸 The value of citizenship to people from a refugee background  \n􀁸 The disproportionate impact on people from a refugee background  \n􀁸 The proposed English language requirements and other measures limiting the accessibility of the citizenship test;  \n􀁸 The need for demonstrated ‘integration’, and  \n􀁸 The supposed ‘strengthening’ of ‘Australian values’.  \n1 Australian Citizenship Test Review Committee, Moving forward … Improving pathways to citizenship (August 2008) [https://www.border.gov.au/Citizenship/Documents/moving-forward-report.pdf](https://www.border.gov.au/Citizenship/Documents/moving-forward-report.pdf).  \n2 Kylar Loussikian, ‘Malcolm Turnbull pledges to change citizenship program to “improve social cohesion” and “enhance security”’, Daily Telegraph (19 April 2017) [http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/national/malcolm-turnbull-pledges-to-change-citizenship-program-to-improve-social](http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/national/malcolm-turnbull-pledges-to-change-citizenship-program-to-improve-social)cohesion-and-enhance-security/news-story/94e7a3b717bef91da13b6b4d32d6afe6?nk=576d30c99d0510ba37958800761cfa5f-1496655849 .  \nThe submission also includes case studies to give examples of how the proposed changes would impact people who have experienced forced displacement. We are concerned that the proposed changes will exclude the very people that the Government wishes to see “integrate” into Australian society.  \nFinally, we continue to argue for evidence-based policy that will help people settle and contribute to Australian society, rather than political rhetoric that divides and excludes. If the Australian Government genuinely wants people to ‘integrate’ and contribute, supporting people to participate and be included within the wider community would be a productive way to build on the “mos","cbCairHSn0CKaMis","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCairHSn0CKaMis","pdf",423877,11,"English","# Response to proposed changes to the Australian citizenship test\n## Concerns about changes and social cohesion\n## Value and significance of Australian citizenship for refugees and humanitarian entrants\n## Human rights basis for nationality and citizenship\n## Case studies and impact on forced displacement entrants","[{\"question\":\"How does the submission justify its view that the changes may harm social cohesion?\",\"answer\":\"RCOA argues that excluding vulnerable groups contradicts the goal of building a cohesive society and denies citizenship to those who value it most highly.\"}]","Response to Proposed Changes to the Test for Australian Citizenship - RCOA | PDF",28]