Many refugees experience positive outcomes in their first decade of settlement in Australia, in terms of workforce participation, language proficiency and social cohesion, according to a new report by the Australian Institute of Family Studies (AIFS).
Workforce participation rates among humanitarian migrants (refugees) increased from 22% in 2013, to 54% in 2023 over the 10-year study - approaching parity with that of the general Australian population (66% in mid-2023).
85% of people under the age of 35 reported speaking English well or very well by year 10 of the survey - and the vast majority of all participants (92%) reported they felt safe in their local neighbourhood.
Around 2,400 humanitarian migrants were surveyed over a 10-year period, starting when their first visas were granted in 2013, as part of Building a New Life in Australia: The Longitudinal Study of Humanitarian Migrants (BNLA) - the largest longitudinal study of humanitarian migrants in Australia. The research was conducted by AIFS on behalf of the Department of Social Services.
Lead author and Senior Research Fellow at AIFS, Dr John van Kooy, said although the report revealed a positive settlement experience for many refugees, it also highlighted key areas of focus for governments and policymakers - including supporting women, who consistently report poorer settlement outcomes than men.
'We saw workforce participation rates increase significantly over time for many - however barriers remain for people with low education and English skills on arrival, and those with limited pre-arrival work experience,' Dr van Kooy said.
'Women, in particular, had lower levels of work experience, education and language skills on arrival - and by the tenth year of the study, were 59% less likely to be employed than men.'
Dr van Kooy said many new arrivals who are ready to work need support for their potential to be 'unlocked'.
'Of those participants who did have work experience before arriving in Australia, 55% had been managers, professionals, technicians or trade workers,' Dr van Kooy said.
'Recent inquiries by the Federal Government and service providers have confirmed, however, that mainstream employment services are not well equipped to support these cohorts, and targeted place-based programs are needed to match refugees' strengths and aspirations with available opportunities.'
The research also showed humanitarian migrants who could speak English well were 43% more likely to be employed than those who could not - impacting other outcomes such as health, self-agency and life satisfaction.
'If we can effectively support new arrivals to improve their English proficiency - for example, by offering flexible tuition that caters for people who are unfamiliar with formal education - we are setting them up for a much more positive settlement experience, potentially impacting all aspects of life.'
Assistant Minister for Multicultural Affairs and Citizenship, Julian Hill MP said: "This landmark study confirms Australia's targeted settlement services model provides critical support to refugees, helping them build new lives in Australia and get a fair crack at life here.
'Generations of migrants and refugees have helped to build our country and I am proud the government continues to invest in quality support for new arrivals.'
Of all participants surveyed in 2023 (year 10 of the study):
- Over half (54%) reported they spoke English well, with those reporting that they did not speak English well on arrival increasing their proficiency from 16% in 2013 to 46% by 2023.
- Over three-quarters (76%) said they 'felt part of the Australian community' most of the time or always. Nearly half (49%) reported having friends from a mix of cultural and ethnic backgrounds.
- 37% either owned their own home outright or were paying off a mortgage after ten years of permanent residency, which was more than double the proportion in year 5 (the halfway point of the study).
- 29% reported experiencing PTSD, significantly higher than current rates for the Australian population (approximately 6%).
- Between 30-40% reported some form of financial hardship, such as not being able to pay rent, utility bills, or going without meals.
As part of the BNLA study, researchers surveyed almost 2,400 humanitarian migrants at six points over 10 years - from their initial visa being granted in 2013, to the last survey in 2023. Study participants were mostly from Iraq, Afghanistan, Iran and Myanmar.
Survey questions, translated into 14 languages, were based on a range of settlement outcomes, including health, education, workforce participation, social connections and self-agency.
Building a New Life in Australia: 10 years of humanitarian settlement is the first report to utilise all six waves of data collection from the BNLA study.
AIFS conducts original research to increase understanding of Australian families and the issues that affect them.
