Settlement policies and programs

From the perspectives of the Australian Government, the settlement policy is intended to promote economic and social benefits of migration. The policy aims to address the needs of new arrivals by developing the knowledge and skills they need to become active and independent participants and by enabling governments and society to be responsive to the cultural, linguistic and religious diversity of migrants (DIAC 2012). The settlement policy guides some of the programs and initiatives that enable governments to provide support to eligible migrants and humanitarian entrants directly or indirectly.

Each year the Australian Government settles thousands of refugees and humanitarian entrants through its Offshore Humanitarian Program. To support the settlement of these entrants, the Australian Government provides grants programs through a competitive funding process. These programs are expected to help refugees and migrants settle successfully and connect with the broader community. These programs are expected to create favourable structures in which African communities can build their community by accessing services. However, the structure and function of these services are very complex, and the outcomes may not always enable African communities to achieve their goals (Nsubuga-Kyobe & Dimock 2002). As discussed in the case studies in Chapter IV, some African community members find the settlement services hard to negotiate. Community leaders interviewed expressed their concern that the hierarchy created by subcontracting settlement programs created barriers for their communities to raise and discuss community issues directly with government agencies.

Secondly these programs were designed to respond to the needs of disadvantaged migrant communities by providing resources to connect with the broader community. However, as pointed out by many of the community leaders interviewed, if these programs were to succeed and support the settlement of Africans, the broader community would have to connect with African communities. Perhaps this is better summed up in the following response from a community leader in Adelaide when asked about the current settlement programs.

K. Hiruy | Institute for Regional Development | Conditions, Resources and Structures that Facilitate Community Empowerment 187

We are happy for the government to help us through the various programs, you know. However, you cannot make a stable and peaceful home in someone’s backyard without them agreeing for you to be part of their neighbourhood. I think they need to create opportunities for the Australian community to know us better instead of trying to help us to learn the way things work in Australia all the time (Interview 023).

During the fieldwork, several NGOs were funded in the three states by DIAC through the settlement policy. DIAC funds several programs including the AMEP, HSS, SGP and Complex Case Support Program (CCS).

AMEP is a program that enables adult migrants, including Africans, who hold a permanent visa to learn English with an AMEP service provider (NGO). Access to AMEP also extends to some temporary visa holders as specified in a legislative instrument for 'English Courses for Holders of Certain Temporary Visas.' As part of the program, the majority of adult members of the African community groups are entitled to 510 hours of English lessons to enable them achieve functional English. Although this program is useful in the empowerment of African communities, evaluations of the program show that Africans are disadvantaged due to the way the program is carried out.

The HSS is designed to assist humanitarian entrants in their early settlement period. The HSS program focuses on capacity building; building community confidence and ability to participate economically and socially. It is intended to equip humanitarian entrants with the knowledge and skills they need to access services. The majority of African community members had accessed HSS at the early stage of their settlement. Support through the HSS is often tailored to individual needs, including the specific needs of young people.

Services provided through a coordinated case management approach under the HSS program include on-arrival reception and induction, assistance with locating short term and long term accommodation, information about and referral to mainstream agencies and to other settlement and community programs and onshore orientation program. As indicated above, the majority of African humanitarian entrants have participated in this program.

The CCS is a program that delivers specialised and intensive case management services to humanitarian entrants with special needs. CCS is specifically targeted at supporting clients whose needs extend beyond the scope of other settlement services, such as the HSS program and the SGP. It is designed to work in partnership with settlement and mainstream services to address barriers that humanitarian entrants face in settling in Australia.

K. Hiruy | Institute for Regional Development | Conditions, Resources and Structures that Facilitate Community Empowerment 188 CCS services are delivered by a number of organisations across Australia to refugee entrants, Special Humanitarian Program entrants, and protection visa holders as well as persons who hold or have held a Temporary Protection visa. Community members who are supported by CCS have several critical needs that require access to multiple services including mental health (including torture and trauma services), physical health, family violence intervention, personal, grief or family relationship counselling, special services for children or youth, support to manage accommodation, financial or legal issues. Although the African community leaders interviewed felt that the program ought to be implemented in collaboration with African community organisations, it was often presented as an individualised program without community participation.