Resettlement experiences and support needs of people living with disabilities from refugee backgrounds

The 2010 Inquiry into Migration Treatment of Disability by the Joint Standing Committee on Migration, found health requirements in the 1958 Migration Act unfairly discriminated against people who are refugees living with... [ view full abstract ]

The 2010 Inquiry into Migration Treatment of Disability by the Joint Standing Committee on Migration, found health requirements in the 1958 Migration Act unfairly discriminated against people who are refugees living with disabilities. In November 2012 the Australian Government responded to the Inquiry’s recommendations stating that from 1 July 2012, “a humanitarian visa processing officer will not consider any costs for health or community care services undue.” Refugee and Humanitarian Programme entrants were provided access to a waiver of the health requirements.

Since 2012 increasing numbers of people living with disabilities have arrived through the offshore Refugee and Humanitarian Programme.

People living with disabilities from refugee backgrounds have diverse support needs which have placed new demands on service systems. The absence of data for service planning, systemic and structural obstacles to timely assessments, unsuitable housing stock for people with mobility issues, newly arrived communities’ lack of familiarity with service systems and disability service providers’ lack of experience of working with people from refugee backgrounds, are some of the themes that have emerged.

The Victorian Refugee Health Network is conducting a needs assessment and gap analysis including reviewing policy, reports and literature, and interviewing service providers to better understand the resettlement experiences and support needs of people living with disabilities from refugee backgrounds. Preliminary findings, case studies and next steps will be discussed in this presentation.