This page contains information about settlement issues, challenges and barriers that refugees, humanitarian entrants and protection visa holders may face when arriving in Australia.
Settlement issues for refugees, humanitarian entrants and protection visa holders
This table describes the settlement issues, challenges and barriers that refugees, humanitarian entrants and protection visa holders may face when arriving in Australia.
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1 |
Health + Read more ...
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Have had limited access to health care prior to arriving in Australia
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Be unfamiliar with Australia's health care system, how it works and what is available
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2 |
Language + Read more ...
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Illiterate in English, and often in their own language
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Unable to attend English language classes due to lack of child care, particularly in rural or regional locations
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Privacy and lack of trust of interpreters in small communities
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Lack of access to qualified interpreters in new and emerging languages
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Limited access to interpreters in both genders
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3 |
Cultural and systems adjustments + Read more ...
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Difficulty in adjusting to socio-economic systems that are unfamiliar
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Modification of the expectations by part of both the settler and the community at large
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Maintenance of traditions and language
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4 |
Isolation + Read more ...
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No family or friends for support or interaction
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Elders may not be able to continue practicing rituals, and may lose 'elder' status and respect and find passing on traditions more difficult
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5 |
Young people + Read more ...
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Identity formation, biculturalism and changes in role
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Inter-generational conflict and conflicts in values
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Adjusting to new systems and structures of government
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Social support, economics and politics
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Finding their identity as they transition from childhood to adulthood
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Social pressures to make occupational and educational decisions
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Peer pressure
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Struggle with inter-generational conflict
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Feelings of isolation due to parental bonds
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Lack of social interaction with peers and the wider community
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Parents relying heavily on their children to:
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interact and liaise with service providers
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interpret and translate complex documents
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communicate on their behalf
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make decisions for the family
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6 |
Torture and trauma + Read more ...
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Grief for the loss of country, relatives or social status
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Anxiety about the unknown, for example, new culture, language, social systems, lack of supportive networks
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Guilt for having survived
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Suffer post traumatic stress disorder symptoms, e.g. dissociation, panic attacks, impairment of memory and attention, aggression, and dependence on drugs or alcohol
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7 |
Housing + Read more ...
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Difficulty finding accommodation suitable to house a large family
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Shortage of accommodation in some areas
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Unable to afford suitable accommodation
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8 |
Employment barriers + Read more ...
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Lack of skills and experience, particularly for refugees who have spent significant amounts of time in refugee camps
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Having skills and/or qualifications, which are not recognised in Australia
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Having a high level of skills and/or qualifications but no 'local' experience
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A lack of understanding of processes and systems
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Low English language competency
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Torture and/or trauma issues
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9 |
Rural areas + Read more ...
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Small groups of refugees or migrants
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Dispersed numbers of migrants and refugees overall
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May have a very diverse multicultural customer base locally
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An increased number of refugees with complex needs, e.g. the refugee intake from Africa
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Limited support networks, both on arrival and longer term
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Isolation from community support and interaction
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Lack of on-site face-to-face interpreters
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Limited or no access to language tuition and training
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Lack of torture and/or trauma counselling services
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Lack of inter-cultural understanding within new community, both regarding the culture of the new arrival by the broader community, and the culture of rural Australia by the new arrival
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Lack of infrastructure, for instance, housing, transport, health care, places of worship (Buddhist temples, Mosques), employment, community organisations, language services, culturally appropriate food and organisations
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