Last week was Refugee Week, a moment to pause and listen to the stories of people who have fled war, persecution and disaster and now call Australia home. It was also a time to ask ourselves whether we are doing enough not just to help people find safety, but also to rebuild their lives here. Perhaps it is time to take a fresh look at our refugee program and ensure that it is built for the realities and challenges of today. Today, more than 122 million people are displaced globally. That is nearly double the number from 10 years ago. Over 37 million of them are refugees fleeing war and persecution in countries like Sudan, Syria, Afghanistan, the Ukraine and, of course, Palestine. More will follow as climate-driven disasters and regional volatility force people from their homes.
Australia has played an important role over the decades. In November this year we expect to receive our millionth refugee since the program began in 1947. But, while we have much to be proud of, we also have much to modernise, because the real issue is not how many people we accept but how ready we are to support them and how effectively we help them contribute when they arrive. The contribution of refugees to Australia over the past half century is undeniable. Dr Bo Reményi, Frank Lowy, Anh Do, Les Murray, Deng Adut and Majak Daw are just a handful of refugees who have helped to reshape Australian society. They have left their mark on medicine, business, arts and culture, public service and sport. Those individuals did not just find refuge here; they found opportunity, and they gave back in spades.
But too often that opportunity is blocked by outdated policy. I am proud to say that the Minns Labor Government is already showing leadership on the issue of resettlement. On World Refugee Day the Government announced the creation of the first-ever NSW Settlement Advisory Council. Chaired by Professor Peter Shergold, AC, the council will provide expert advice to Multicultural NSW and act as a formal mechanism to guide policy decisions, improve service coordination and ensure that the NSW Settlement Strategy reflects the lived experience of refugee communities. As I have spoken about previously in this place, the Activate Australia's Skills campaign convened by Settlement Services International [SSI] is a non-partisan alliance of businesses, unions, social services and community organisations united by a common goal: to fix Australia's outdated qualifications and skills recognition system.
At a time when our country faces critical workforce shortages, we simply cannot afford to waste the expertise of new arrivals. The campaign's message is simple: If we activate Australia's skills, everyone wins. SSI CEO Violet Roumeliotis has welcomed the establishment of the NSW Settlement Advisory Council, noting that its objectives align closely with the work SSI is already doing. In her words, the council represents:
…something that would help address crippling skills shortages and allow new arrivals … to utilise their skills and experience in their new home.
That is exactly the kind of alignment between whole-of-government strategy and the community-led solutions we need to ensure better outcomes for refugees and the communities they join. Another is the Kaldor Centre's 2024 proposed standing emergency protection framework, anchored by a dedicated emergency visa. The proposed model would allow Australia to act swiftly and systematically in emergencies, rather than waiting for political pressure or media attention to force a response.
It is not about inflating refugee intake for the sake of it. Rather, it is about building a system that is ready, adaptable, lawful and—most importantly—humane and capable of protecting people when conflict or disaster strikes, whether in the Ukraine or Gaza today, or a climate-displaced Pacific community tomorrow. With the re‑election of the Albanese Government, Australians have backed a government with empathy and the vision needed to modernise how we respond to crises, and to unlock the potential of those who come here seeking safety and a new start. When we welcome people with the right policies and the right support, everyone benefits.
