For generations, Australia has given refugees fleeing war and persecution a chance to rebuild their lives in safety. One million refugees have made that journey since World War Two, and they’ve become us.
Teachers, nurses, business owners, neighbours, community leaders, colleagues, and settlement workers who now welcome the next generation.
This is the cycle of welcome that has quietly built modern Australia, one generation supporting the next.
The cycle of welcome isn’t abstract. It’s lived by real people every day.
One in five SSI staff are former refugees who understand what it takes to start over because they’ve done it themselves.
Meet some of them.
From Iraq, to SSI, led by compassion
When Lara arrived in Australia from Iraq in 2020, the world was shutting down and she was starting over for the third time. SSI welcomed her. Today, she works at SSI, bringing the compassion that drew her to healthcare and the empathy that comes from having been a refugee herself.
Click the arrows to scroll through Lara’s story
From orientation participant to Orientation Leader
When Joseph arrived in Australia as a refugee in 2014, an SSI welcome team was waiting. He didn’t know it then, but that moment would define his life. Ten years on, Joseph is the one standing at the door making sure every newcomer feels exactly what he once felt: seen, supported, and full of hope.
Click the arrows to scroll through Joseph’s story
From Afghanistan to Project Coordinator
Razia’s journey differs from many refugees. An accomplished academic and professional, Razia came to Australia through a complementary pathway, sponsored by SSI to bring her expertise to our operations. Today, she’s proof that welcome benefits everyone – refugees, employers and communities alike.
Click the arrows to scroll through Razia’s story
From surviving uncertainty to supporting others
After fleeing Afghanistan, Miwa spent years in limbo in India — living without equal rights or support, working without secure employment rights and protection, and studying for a future that often felt out of reach. SSI welcomed her to Australia in 2023. Today, she welcomes others, grounded by the years she spent without equal rights and support and inspired by the welcome she received.
Click the arrows to scroll through Miwa’s story
From being welcomed in her language to welcoming others through understanding
When SSI greeted Tamara’s family in Arabic at the airport, it was a welcome that shaped Tamara’s life. Her family had fled Iraq and endured persecution in Jordan. Then, in Australia, she experienced what care looks like when culture and language are centred. Today, she brings that understanding to her settlement work at SSI. Pursuing clinical psychology, she’s extending that same understanding to mental health care for refugee communities
Click the arrows to scroll through Tamara’s story
From starting over to helping others find a home
After fleeing Iraq and spending time in Syria, Zaid arrived in Australia in 2007 with a toddler, a wife days from giving birth, and a determination to rebuild. He worked across pathology, security, and community services before joining SSI. Today, as a Housing Officer, he draws on nearly two decades of lived and professional experience to help newly arrived families find not just a home, but a foundation.
Click the arrows to scroll through Zaid’s story
From seeking support to providing it
Tea came to Australia with her mother, navigating a new country largely on their own. Now she ensures new arrivals have the support she wished for when she first arrived.
Spend a day with Tea.
These milestones celebrate what’s possible when Australia chooses welcome.
Figures refer to refugees supported by SSI settlement programs (FY20/21–FY25/26).
Welcome isn’t charity. It’s how Australia grows stronger with every generation.
This cycle of belonging strengthens our economy, enriches our culture, and shapes our national identity.
Refugees arrive in Australia seeking safety and opportunity after being forced from their homes due to war, violence or persecution.
With support from organisations like SSI, they rebuild their lives by learning English, finding work, raising families, and establishing roots in their communities.
They become teachers, healthcare workers, business owners, and community leaders who fill skilled workforce gaps, start businesses, volunteer, and strengthen the social fabric of their communities.
They become the welcomers themselves, using their lived experience to guide the next generation, strengthening the communities that once embraced them and reflecting the shared responsibility at the heart of Australian life.
Australia’s story of welcome is built by everyday people who choose to extend opportunity, understanding, and support. Here’s how you can be part of it.
Your contribution helps create opportunities for newcomers finding their footing.
SSI is one of Australia’s largest refugee resettlement providers, supporting thousands of refugees every year to rebuild their lives and contribute to Australian society.
For over 25 years, we’ve helped people find housing, learn English, secure employment, access education and healthcare, and build the connections that turn a new country into home. We’ve supported families through their most challenging moments and celebrated with them as they achieve independence, pursue their dreams, and give back to their communities.
At SSI, we believe everyone in Australia deserves access to equal opportunities. With decades of experience serving diverse and multicultural communities, we deliver essential services and work for local and global systems change.
