A delegation of Australian advocates on the ground at the world’s largest refugee camp has called for desperate action to address the unprecedented growth in people displaced by war and persecution, on the eve of the release of UNHCR’s annual Global Trends report.

Australian representatives from SSI and Amnesty International Australia joined the Asia Pacific Refugee Rights Network (APRRN) in Cox’s Bazar to warn that no single country or organisation can address the scale of what is unfolding, calling for regional collaboration, collective action and refugee-led solutions across the Asia-Pacific.

The visit comes on the eve of the UNHCR Global Trends report, which is expected to show a region at breaking point, where resettlement pathways are shrinking, funding is being cut and political resistance to refugee protection is growing.

For Rohingya refugees, among the world’s most protracted displaced populations, conditions are worsening and there is no clear path home. Since early 2024, 150,000 Rohingya people have arrived in Cox’s Bazar, straining already depleted resources and pushing overcrowded camps to their limits with more than 1.2 million residents.

SSI CEO Violet Roumeliotis said there is no quick-fix solution to a crisis of this scale, but the Australian Government has clear levers it can pull, demonstrating regional leadership by increasing the humanitarian intake, expanding complementary pathways and advancing responsibility-sharing.

“At a time when displacement is reaching record levels and international support is under pressure, countries like Australia have an opportunity to step up with regional actors and help shape a more coordinated and compassionate regional response.

“After ten years of partnership with APRRN, we’ve seen firsthand the importance of refugee networks as the social infrastructure increasingly holding refugee protection together, filling the gaps left by retreating institutions and creating the conditions for collective advocacy that no single organisation can achieve alone,” she said.

Hafsar Tameesuddin, a Rohingya refugee and APRRN’s Co-Secretary General, said displaced communities in the region are not waiting for international actors to solve the crises affecting their lives, but are already organising, advocating, and building the case for accountability themselves.

“I have long believed, and my recent visit reinforced, that refugee-led organisations are among the most needs-based, practical, and community-centred actors in humanitarian response. They understand their communities best and consistently deliver meaningful impact.

“APRRN has been facilitating and will continue to support the decentralisation of funding, localisation of decision-making, and redistribution of power towards refugee-led organisations. Lasting systems change will only be achieved through genuine partnerships that recognise them as equal partners,” she said.

Amnesty International Australia Refugee Rights Campaigner Zaki Hairari said what he saw in Cox’s Bazar was confronting and heartbreaking. These people are living in limbo, having fled genocide in Myanmar, yet the world is slowly forgetting them.

“I met children learning on concrete floors with no carpet, families living in overcrowded shelters, and young people whose only request was the chance to have a future. Their resilience is extraordinary, but resilience alone cannot replace action.

“The Rohingya people cannot remain trapped in refugee camps forever. The international community must increase humanitarian support, expand resettlement pathways, and invest in education and livelihoods. The Rohingya deserve more than a life of waiting; they deserve hope, dignity, and a future,” he said.

Photo credits:

Ro Maung Hla Myint (@ro_maung_hla_myint)
Ro Yassin Abdumonab (@ro_yassin_abdumonab)

Students at Sacred Heart Primary School in Fitzroy joined cricketer Fawad Ahmed for a special Refugee Week event that brought together cricket and community, while marking a historic national milestone.

The event, delivered in partnership with the Usman Khawaja Foundation and SSI, Australia’s largest refugee resettlement organisation, recognised that Australia has now welcomed one million refugees since the end of World War II.

The milestone resonated strongly with the school community, with many students and families having their own lived experience of displacement and resettlement.

Ahmed, who sought asylum in Australia himself, shared his story with students and used cricket as a way to connect, inspire and build confidence among young people.

Multicultural Affairs Minister the Hon. Dr Anne Aly MP, Sarah Witty MP, Member for Melbourne, and SSI Chair Peter van Vliet also joined the event, which formed part of Refugee Week 2026 ― an annual celebration highlighting stories of courage, resilience and belonging across Australia.

Usman Khawaja, cricketer and founder of the Usman Khawaja Foundation: 

“I am excited to have the Usman Khawaja Foundation here today at Sacred Heart Primary School, joining forces with SSI. Our two organisations share common goals and purposes and a belief that every young person deserves the opportunity to belong, to contribute and to thrive.”

Hon. Dr Anne Aly MP, Minister for Multicultural Affairs: 

“Every person deserves to feel safe, included and proud of who they are. Refugee Week is a reminder that belonging is built in places just like this, in classrooms, playgrounds, local clubs and communities that welcome people in.”

“Fawad’s story shows that where you start in life does not define where you can go. Sport has a special way of bringing communities together, and today was a beautiful example of multicultural Australia in action.”

“The Albanese Government will always back communities that help people feel at home, participate fully and contribute to the country we share.”

Violet Roumeliotis AM, SSI CEO: 

“Reaching one million refugees welcomed to Australia is a powerful reminder of who we are as a country. This milestone is not just about numbers — it’s about the kind of country we choose to be. What we saw on the pitch today is what real opportunity looks like: young people being supported to thrive and to see themselves as part of Australia’s story. Sport has a unique ability to bring people together. Whether on the cricket pitch or local sports field, it creates friendships and helps people from different backgrounds see each other as teammates and neighbours.”

Fawad Ahmed, cricketer: 

“Since World War II, Australia has welcomed more than one million refugees. We are celebrating their courage, resilience, and contribution to our nation, and reaffirm our commitment to a future built on compassion, dignity and opportunity for all.”

Since World War Two, one million people who fled war and persecution have been permanently resettled in Australia, a milestone that coincides with the start of Refugee Week and reflects nearly eight decades of resettlement.

These newcomers are at the heart of organisations like refugee resettlement provider SSI which, over its 25-year history, has settled 25,000 people through the federal government’s Humanitarian Settlement Program.

Today, one in four SSI staff are former refugees, like Iraqi-born Tamara Sabri. Tamara fled Iraq as a child with her family after her father, a newspaper illustrator, was threatened after drawing a political caricature.

On the flight to Australia, her parents memorised English phrases, preparing for a new country and a new life. When they landed, an SSI staff member greeted them in Arabic.

“I still remember the warmth of the airport staff. It felt like being welcomed by family. In that moment the fear lifted. I realised we weren’t alone,” she said.

Watching SSI workers support her own family, Tamara made herself a quiet promise: one day she would do the same.

SSI CEO Violet Roumeliotis said Australia’s refugee story is too often framed only by hardship.

“We see people defined by the moment they escape war or persecution, rather than everything that comes after. Being a refugee is not someone’s whole story. It’s a moment in time,” she said.

“When people arrive in Australia, they bring skills, resilience and a deep commitment to contribute. Over time, their story grows far beyond their refugee experience. They are Australians, shaping our communities and helping others find their place, just as they once did.”

Assistant Secretary, Settlement Branch, Department of Home Affairs said: “Australia has a long, proud and generous tradition of resettling refugees and vulnerable people in humanitarian need. Refugees have brought vibrancy to our cities, suburbs and towns through their economic and social contribution that has shaped the Australia that we know today.”

For more stories like Tamara click here.

Key facts

• One million refugees permanently resettled in Australia since 1947
• SSI supports approximately 4,000 refugees each year through the Humanitarian Settlement Program
• SSI supports 67,000 people annually across 59 programs
• 71 per cent of SSI staff were born outside Australia
• SSI staff come from 76 countries and speak over 42 languages

Figures refer to refugees supported by SSI settlement programs (FY20/21–FY25/26).

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 

Proposed immigration changes announced by Opposition Leader Angus Taylor today would undermine the fairness, equal opportunity and the belief in a fair go that underpin Australia’s already robust migration system, according to national non-profit SSI.

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