SSI welcomed the government’s $200 million Inclusive Communities Fund but said the investment must be culturally responsive. 

“The NDIS belongs to every Australian with disability, regardless of where they were born or what language they speak at home. Any reimagining of this scheme must start from that premise, or it will only deepen existing inequities” said SSI Executive General Manager of Service Delivery Eric Harper. 

“We know that when the NDIS works as intended, it returns $2.25 back into the economy for every dollar invested. Ensuring the scheme works properly for multicultural communities is not a competing priority to economic responsibility,” he said.  

Echoing Minister Butler’s calls for the scheme to provide genuine connection and community support, Mr Harper said the focus must be on how to spend well. 

“A scheme that is truly fit for purpose for a diverse Australia must prioritise culturally responsive care — and right now, that means addressing why people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds make up only 9 to 10 per cent of participants when they should represent closer to 22 per cent,” he said. 

“Our National Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Disability Reform Committee is bringing together a wide network of services, peak bodies and community organisations to provide collaborative input into disability reform. A key focus is the Thriving Kids program — multicultural children are currently half as likely to access early intervention supports as other children. 

“For Thriving Kids to achieve its objectives, culturally responsive care cannot be an add-on, it must be built in,” Mr Harper said. 

Mr Harper also said mainstream community supports — delivered by trusted, locally connected and culturally informed organisations — must be rebuilt for multicultural people with disability, particularly those who will no longer be eligible for the scheme. 

Abrahim Darouiche, accessibility and inclusion advocate, and member of SSI’s CALD Disability Reference Group said that “support from the scheme allows me to work, stay connected to my community and protect my mental health.” 

“Without it, I would face serious isolation and depression, with no one to turn to. It would really impact my mental health and ability to participate socially and economically.” 

Nidhi Shekaran, another member of the Reference Group and lived experience consultant and advocate added that, “people from culturally and linguistically diverse communities living with disability face a significant gap in understanding how to access support, navigate the system, and connect with the right services. Lower rates and access reflect the lack of culturally responsive services, not a lower level of need.  

“Cutting this funding would only deepen existing barriers for people from culturally and linguistically diverse communities living with disability, making an already difficult situation unmanageable,” Ms Shekaran said.

 About SSI: 

Settlement Services International (SSI) delivers a range of human services that connect individuals, families, and children from diverse backgrounds with opportunities – including settlement support, disability programs, community engagement initiatives and training and employment pathways. At the heart of everything we do is a drive for equality, empathy, and celebration of every individual. 

Media enquiries: 

Jordan Wise | Senior Communications Officer 

M: 0481 484 761 | press@ssi.org.au 

The Opposition’s newly released immigration platform would embed discrimination into a system that has, for decades, been deliberately designed to be non‑discriminatory and values‑based, said Violet Roumeliotis, the CEO of SSI, which supports migrants and refugees beginning new lives in Australia. 

“Australians do not want to import poor and polarising practices we’ve seen in the US, like ICE-style enforcement and pre-arrival social media screening. We don’t want overseas immigration tactics that rely on fear, punishment and division,” she said. 

“Social cohesion is under pressure in Australia, and this rhetoric only worsens it.” 

Australia’s migration framework already includes strong values expectations, rigorous security screening and clear requirements around law‑abiding conduct. 

“This system has been operating for a long time, under both Coalition and Labor governments. We can and should improve it, but only by building on its strong foundations. 

“A fair, non‑discriminatory system is non‑negotiable. Every person should be assessed on their individual merit. It should not matter where someone comes from, what language they speak or which country they were born in.” 

Proposals to introduce subjective ‘values tests’ or expand enforcement through ICE‑style taskforces fundamentally miss the mark on where reform could genuinely benefit Australians. 

“For example, one of the most pressing issues we’re seeing in our migration settings is about responding to skills shortages. Addressing this issue should be the focus of our migration debate, not stoking culture wars,” she said. 

Ms Roumeliotis said SSI strongly condemns the targeting of vulnerable cohorts, including people arriving from Gaza, who have already been subjected to extensive security screening and unique vetting processes. 

“It is a stain on our social conscience that any sitting parliamentarian would single out people fleeing conflict for further scrutiny,” Ms Roumeliotis said.

What would genuinely strengthen Australia’s system, she said, is not harsher enforcement but a coordinated emergency settlement response, ensuring people arriving through humanitarian pathways are supported to settle well, work and contribute. 

“Australians want a migration system that reflects our national identity — fairness, opportunity and dignity — not one that imports division from overseas.” 

Media enquiries: 

Hannah Gartrell 

Head of Executive Communications and Media 

M: 0423 965 956 

E: press@ssi.org.au 

National human services provider SSI is extending its services into the Western Australia community with the appointment of new State Director Tharanga De Silva.

SSI CEO Violet Roumeliotis said Ms De Silva, who commenced today, November 24, brings a wealth of skills and vast experience in the multicultural services sector to the role, which will help strengthen and complement the work already underway across WA’s diverse communities.

“Western Australia is home to vibrant, resilient multicultural communities and many dedicated local organisations that have been leading impactful work for decades,” Ms Roumeliotis said.

“Our intention is to stand alongside community leaders, partner with existing services, and offer SSI’s programs and support where it can help fill gaps or enhance local efforts.

“Our goal is to make SSI’s programs available where they can make the greatest impact. We’re extending our services to WA so more people can access additional support where they need it. This move is about working hand-in-hand with communities to design and deliver services that complement and reflect local needs.”

Ms Roumeliotis said SSI’s approach in WA will focus on partnering and co-creating solutions with community organisations, government agencies and local leaders to amplify what WA is already doing well, and to share learnings from SSI’s successful models in other states.

“With the appointment of a new state director, we are very keen to collaborate, listen and work closely with local services and community groups to strengthen the sector and offer programs that truly make a difference in the lives of the diverse communities we collectively serve.”

With a background as a lawyer, Ms De Silva is a strategic community development leader with more than 25 years of experience advancing social impact in WA and Sri Lanka. Her expertise lies in shaping multicultural policy, establishing services, and building high-impact partnerships with government, tertiary education, not-for-profit and community stakeholders.

Ms De Silva was most recently the Senior Community Development Coordinator with ASeTTS in Perth and is recognised for co-designing culturally responsive programs and delivering large-scale initiatives.

“With her deep local connections, understanding of WA’s multicultural landscape, and vast skills and knowledge, Ms De Silva is the perfect person to lead this collaborative, community-driven expansion,” Ms Roumeliotis said.

“We look forward to seeing what we can achieve together with culturally and linguistically diverse communities in WA, building on the strong foundations already in place and contributing where our experience can add value.” 

As Australia debates how to better integrate refugees, one settlement support program is quietly redefining what refugee support looks like by turning artistic talent into sustainable creative careers.

SSI’s Creative Compass program has seen participants sell more than $40,000 worth of artwork in less than 12 months through two unique exhibitions set up on easels in a busy Sydney CBD thoroughfare.

Participating artist Hosna Saif, 21, who came to Australia 12 months ago from Afghanistan, said Creative Compass had been an incredibly powerful part of her settlement experience.

“I still remember the first time I joined Creative Compass – it was just a few weeks after I arrived in Australia as a girl without hope, a girl once denied,” she said.

“When I met the SSI staff and the artists, it felt unreal. For the first time, someone valued me and my art. They gave us not only materials but encouragement, support, and hope. Since then, we’ve had exhibitions, workshops at the Art Gallery of New South Wales, and collaborations with other arts organisations. I’ve also sold many of my artworks, something I once only dreamed of.

“Creative Compass became more than a place – it became a family. Through art I found connection, confidence, and myself again.”

SSI General Manager Newcomers, Settlement and Integration Yamamah Agha said Creative Compass and the Beyond Borders exhibitions have been a huge success for the artists, proving settlement support comes in many forms.

“Not only have our refugee artists gained new skills, knowledge and connections through the program and exhibitions, they have proven they can augment their income in their new home by using their incredible creative talents,” Ms Agha said.

“The program really resonates with the new arrivals who participate, providing a comfortable settlement experience with other creatives they can relate to. To the artists, selling their pieces not only means economic independence; it means confidence, connections and a pathway to healing, integration and self-expression.”

Creative Compass invests in the artistic careers of refugee artists by offering tailored mentorship, skills development and pathways into the Australia’s arts industry. It aims to build sustainable creative careers, foster social inclusion through events, and celebrate cultural identity.

More than 200 newly arrived artists have taken part in the program since its inception, with artists from countries including Afghanistan, Syria, Ukraine, Congo, Myanmar, Pakistan, Palestine, Iran and Iraq taking part.

Ms Agha said SSI was extremely grateful to Macquarie Group for providing a space at Martin Place Metro Station at 1 Elizabeth, Sydney, for both Beyond Borders exhibitions.

“Thousands of passersby use this thoroughfare during their busy work week, and the exhibition provided a chance for them to pause and reflect on the stories told through the artwork,” she said.

“SSI is extremely proud of the 20 artists who have worked so hard on this project, and we congratulate them on the success of the exhibitions. We know this is just the start of their successful creative careers here in Australia and we can’t wait to hear what they achieve next.”

The unsold pieces displayed in the Beyond Borders exhibition can be viewed and purchased on the SSI website, where you can also find information on all the artists.