Australia is one of the world's most multicultural nations. More than 30% of Australians were born overseas; over 200 languages are spoken in Australian homes. Immigration — both skilled and humanitarian — is central to Australia's economic and social fabric. Yet settlement in a new country is challenging, and the organisations that help migrants and refugees build lives in Australia need sustained philanthropic investment.
Scale of migration
Australia accepts approximately 190,000 permanent migrants per year (under the permanent migration programme), plus temporary migrants, international students, and people on working holiday visas. Humanitarian intake — refugees and others in need of protection — has varied significantly over years of policy change, from around 13,000 to 20,000 per year.
Refugee and asylum seeker context
Australia's offshore processing regime — detaining asylum seekers who arrive by boat in Nauru and Papua New Guinea — has been highly controversial. Many people who have experienced offshore processing have significant trauma and complex support needs when they eventually reach Australia.
Migrant diversity
Australia's migrant population is extraordinarily diverse — from high-skilled professionals from the UK and India, to humanitarian entrants from Afghanistan, Syria, South Sudan, and Myanmar. Settlement needs vary enormously across this diversity.
Geographic concentration
Most migrants and refugees settle in Australia's major cities — Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, and Perth. Regional settlement programmes attempt to increase migration to regional areas; this creates different settlement challenges and opportunities.
Federal government funding
The Department of Home Affairs funds the Humanitarian Settlement Program (HSP) and various settlement services through contracts with major providers. Key programmes:
- Humanitarian Settlement Program: Intensive early settlement support for newly arrived refugees
- Adult Migrant English Program (AMEP): English language tuition; recently expanded
- Settlement Engagement and Transition Support (SETS): Ongoing settlement assistance
State government
State governments also fund settlement services, particularly in health, housing, and employment.
Major settlement service providers
Community organisations
Hundreds of community organisations — ethnic community associations, faith organisations, cultural groups — provide informal settlement support and community connection alongside formal services.
Community language and cultural organisations
Community organisations that serve specific migrant communities — cultural events, language maintenance, mutual aid, community connection — rarely attract government funding but play critical roles in settlement and belonging. Grants for community organisations maintain the cultural infrastructure that helps people retain identity while building new lives.
Employment pathways for migrants
Many skilled migrants struggle to have overseas qualifications recognised and to access employment commensurate with their skills. Mentoring programmes connecting migrants with professionals in their field, bridging programmes supporting credential recognition, and employer engagement programmes that reduce hiring bias help skilled migrants access appropriate employment.
Mental health for newly arrived communities
Refugees and asylum seekers have often experienced significant trauma — persecution, war, family separation, and the trauma of the asylum process itself. Mental health services that are culturally appropriate, available in community languages, and informed by refugee experience are essential. Grants for refugee mental health — including bilingual counsellors and community mental health workers — address a significant gap.
Women's settlement and economic empowerment
Migrant women, particularly those from cultures with more restrictive gender norms, face specific settlement challenges. Language access, women-only spaces, support with navigating Australian systems, and economic empowerment programmes are important. Grants for women's settlement programmes recognise these specific needs.
Settlement for older migrants
Older migrants — particularly those who joined family members in Australia in later life — often have significant English language barriers, isolation, and difficulty accessing services. Aged care that is culturally appropriate and available in community languages is critical.
Digital inclusion for migrants
Many newly arrived migrants face digital barriers — limited English language digital skills, lack of digital literacy, inadequate data access. Digital inclusion programmes for migrants — in language, tailored to settlement contexts — improve access to services and economic opportunity.
Housing security for migrants and refugees
Newly arrived migrants and refugees face significant housing challenges — discrimination in rental markets, affordability, and unfamiliarity with tenancy systems. Grants for housing support services, tenancy advocacy, and supported accommodation for newly arrived people address a critical settlement barrier.
Community and civic engagement
Helping migrants engage in Australian civic life — local government, community organisations, volunteering, sport — builds belonging and contributes to Australian community. Grants for civic engagement programmes, community leadership development, and multicultural community events invest in social cohesion.
Funding community organisations, not just service providers: Large settlement service providers receive most government funding. Smaller community organisations — often run by and for specific migrant communities — are underresourced but highly effective. Philanthropy can support these grassroots organisations.
Address structural barriers, not just individual deficits: Many settlement challenges reflect structural barriers — qualification non-recognition, racial discrimination in employment, housing market discrimination — not individual deficits. Grants for advocacy and systemic change address these structural issues.
Recognise the role of trauma: Many humanitarian entrants have experienced severe trauma. Settlement services that are trauma-informed — avoiding re-traumatisation, building safety, recognising the impact of past experiences — produce better outcomes.
Support community self-determination: The most effective support for migrant communities is often community-designed and community-led. Funders should support migrant and refugee communities to identify their own priorities and lead their own responses.
Tahua's grants management platform supports multicultural funders and settlement organisations in Australia — with the grant tracking, outcome measurement, and community engagement tools that help funders invest effectively in newcomer integration.