On this page, you will find:
To find organisations working for LGBTQI+ rights, visit our Australia LGBTQI+ Resources page.
For Australia country of origin information (COI) experts, reports, commentaries and relevant documents visit our Australia COI page.
Refugee protection
Click here to see the numbers and origins of refugees hosted by Australia.
The following sections contain information on the most important international treaties and agreements of which Australia is signatory, as well as national legislation relevant to the protection of refugees.
Australia is a state party to the 1951 Refugee Convention.
The Migration Act 1958 (Commonwealth) forms the legislative basis for all forms of migration and visa applications in Australia, including humanitarian assistance. The Department of Home Affairs is the government department that administers the law, as well as the immigration program.
Individuals who are outside Australia and want to claim asylum can contact the United Nations High Commissioner (UNHCR) office in the country currently in.
Individuals inside Australia who want to claim asylum can apply to the Australian Department of Immigration and Border Protection. Please note that UNHCR does not assist with determining asylum claims in Australia. You can contact Australian Department of Immigration and Border Protection here.
The UNHCR Help Page for Australia provides information for refugees and people seeking asylum in Australia. On this page, useful information can be found relating to:
- Where you can ask for help
- How to claim asylum
- How to request registration documents
- Where you can report conditions of detention
- Resettlement
- UNHCR in Australia
Factsheets on how to apply for asylum in Australia can be found in English, Arabic, Dari, Farsi and Tamil.
In the absence of a comprehensive legal aid framework, there are a number of organisations that provide people seeking asylum free legal advice.Agents providing advice must be a registered migration agent. You can search here to see if an organisation is registered.
Legal aid organisations
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Addresss:Becher House, 43 Bedford Street, Newtown, Sydney NSW 2042
Tel: 02 9078 1900
Email: contactus@asylumseekerscentre.org.au
Opening hours: Mon-Fri, 9am – 4pm
Asylum Seekers Centre assists asylum seekers in Sydney, New South Wales with a range of services, including legal advice on their protection applications, accommodation support, and financial relief.
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Address: ASRC Footscray (Upstairs), 214-216, Nicholson Street, Footscray VIC 3011
Tel: 03 9326 6066
Email: admin@asrc.org.au
Opening hours: Monday to Friday, 10am – 5pm
Make sure to call before arriving at the centre.
For Legal Help by phone: 0478 700 605
Operating hours: Monday & Thursday, 10:30am-12:00pm
The Asylum Seeker Resource Centre (ASRC) is Australia’s largest human rights organisation providing support to people seeking asylum. They support and empower people seeking asylum by providing access to casework, counselling, food bank, health and legal support. Other services include English classes and employment support.
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Address: Underdale Office: 304 Henley Beach Rd, Underdale SA 5032
Tel: 08 8354 2951
Email: reception@ausref.net
Salisbury Office: 1 Brown Terrace, Salisbury SA 5108
Tel: 08 8281 2052
Email: reception@ausref.net
Australian Refugee Association has a team of registered migration agents providing advice and assisting people in applying for visas, residence and citizenship applications.
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Address: Ground Floor, 445 Hay Street, Perth
Tel: (08) 6148 3636
Email: enquiries@circlegreen.org.au
Circle Green Community Legal is the merger of three specialist community legal centres in Western Australia; The Humanitarian Group being specific to refugees. They help people new to Australia who need professional legal migration advice and are disadvantaged in accessing legal services. They help recently arrived migrants, including refugees, living in Australia to bring their family to Australia.
State-based Legal Aid websites can be found below.
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Address: Level 5, 362 Kent Street, Sydney NSW 2000
Tel: +61 (02) 8234 0700
Email: iarcadmin@iarc.asn.au
IARC’s legal advice is free and confidential. They help people without financial means with refugee and immigration visas. They do not help individuals in court (judicial review or appeals) or fill in forms. Telephone interpreters are available if required.
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Address: Shop 15, Malak Place, Malak NT 0812
Tel: 08 8945 9122
Email: admin@mcnt.org.au
Opening hours: Mon-Fri, 8.30am-5pm
The MCNT’s long running migration advice service is provided in partnership with the Migration Institute of Australia. Migration Advice is open to everyone, and is held on the first Wednesday of every month from 6-8pm and volunteer registered migration agents provide free advice sessions.
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Address: 1-3 Eurimbla Ave, Randwick, Sydney NSW 2031
Tel: +61 (02) 8355 7227
Email: admin@racs.org.au
RACS provides critical free legal advice, assistance and representation, for financially disadvantaged and vulnerable people seeking asylum in Australia.
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Address: Level 1, 170 Boundary Street, West End QLD 4101
Tel: (07) 3846 9300
Email: admin@rails.org.au
Refugee and Immigration Legal Service provides free immigration advice, legal assistance and legal education to immigrants, refugees, and asylum seekers in Queensland.
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Address: Level 6, 20 Otter St, COLLINGWOOD, VIC 3066
Tel: (03) 9413 0101
Advice Line: (03) 9413 0100
Email: refugeelegal@refugeelegal.org.au
Opening hours: Wednesday & Friday 10am-2pm
Refugee Legal is Australia’s largest not-for-profit provider of free legal services in its specialist field of immigration and refugee law. Please tell us if an interpreter is needed. You must call the telephone advice line service to access any of our advice and casework services.
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Address: Level 1, 319 Liverpool Street, Hobart TAS 7000
Tel: (03) 6169 9473
Email: info@trls.org.au
Their team of lawyers and volunteers aim to assist people of refugee background, people seeking asylum and humanitarian entrants with all aspects of migration law.
Their free and confidential legal services include:
- face to face, social media or telephone advice, regarding refugee, asylum seeker and/or humanitarian entrant related issues;
- casework assistance, such as, but not limited to:
- helping you with your visa application;
- accompanying individuals to their interview with the Department of Home Affairs;
- preparing and advocating for individuals before the Immigration Assessment Authority or Administrative Appeals Tribunal;
- preparing and representing individuals in their Judicial Review before the Federal Circuit Court; and
- assisting individuals with their Ministerial Intervention Request
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Address: Head Office Suite 4A6, 410 Elizabeth Street, Surry Hills NSW 2010
Tel: 02 9211 9333
Email: admin@refugeecouncil.org.au or info@refugeecouncil.org.au
The Refugee Council of Australia (RCOA) is the national umbrella body for refugees and the organisations and individuals who support them. It has more than 130 organisational members and 250 individual members. The priority activities for RCOA are set by its members, as represented by an elected Board. Members of the Council are involved in many areas of refugee support including assisting refugees in countries of first asylum and when they repatriate to their homelands; providing settlement support to refugees in Australia; providing protection and legal advice to refugees and asylum seekers; advocating on behalf of a particular refugee community.RCOA endeavours to support its Members in these endeavours. Another of the Refugee Council’s roles is to provide training to service providers and groups. RCOA can design training packages specifically to meet your needs on a wide range of refugee-related areas. RCOA’s own work is centred around five key areas: policy, support for refugees, support for its Members, community education and administration. RCOA is a member of the Asia Pacific Refugee Rights Network (APRRN).
Organisations providing other support to refugees
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Address: Hotham Mission 2 Elm Street North Melbourne Vic 3051
Tel: (03) 9326 8245
Email: programs@hothammission.org.au
Hotham Mission provides accommodation and other limited support to a small number of asylum seekers in the community, while their visa status is assessed. This response is provided in conjunction with ongoing support from case managers in partner organisations.
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Address: 197 The Trongate PO Box 10 Granville NSW 2142
Tel: 02 9727 9290
Email: office@houseofwelcome.com.au
House of Welcome provides housing and other support services including case work, employment assistance, English lessons and community programs for refugees, individuals and families who are seeking asylum.
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Address: 24 Roslyn Street, Kings Cross NSW 2011
Postal address: Jesuit Refugee Service PO Box 522 Kings Cross, NSW 1340
Tel: (02) 9356 3888
Email: jrsreception@jrs.org.au, intake@jrs.org.au, or women@jrs.org.au
Jesuit Refugee Service Australia serves and accompanies people seeking asylum, refugees, and migrants in vulnerable situations. Their services include emergency assistance, food bank support, specialist casework, community development activities, employment assistance, schools engagement, hosting legal clinics via the Refugee Advice and Casework Service (RACS), and a project to support the empowerment of women on temporary visas experiencing or at risk of sexual and gender-based violence.
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Address: 24 McLachlan Street Darwin NT 0800
Postal address: GPO Box 1930 Darwin NT 0801 Tel: +61 (08) 8985 3311
Email: admin@melaleuca.org.au
Melaleuca’s mission is to welcome and support individuals from diverse backgrounds in Australia. They provide counselling and wellbeing services, settlement support services, and health support. They also have a humanitarian settlement programme aiming to equip individuals with the skills and knowledge that they need to become self-reliant and active members of the Australian community.
Dallas Office
Address: Level 5, 61 Riggall Street Dallas VIC 3047
Postal address: Spectrum – PO Box 101, Dallas VIC 3047
Tel: (03) 9977 9000
Email: info@spectrumvic.org.au
Sunshine Office
Address: 163 Harvester Road
Sunshine VIC 3020
Tel: (03) 9300 8600
Email: info@spectrumvic.org.au
Spectrum delivers services to newly arrived and established people with migrant and refugee backgrounds in the northern and western Melbourne areas. They help new Australians feel at home and help individuals and families successfully settle into all aspects of community life through developing inclusive communities, and delivering settlement and family services.
Australia LGBTQI+ Resources
Find organisations working for refugee LGBTQI+ rights in Australia.
Australia COI
Find Australia Country of Origin information (COI) experts, reports, commentaries, and relevant documents.
We are always looking to expand the resources on our platform. If you know about relevant resources, or you are aware of organisations and/or individuals to include in our directories, please get in touch.
Last updated May 2023