2018-19 Humanitarian Program-Meeting with UNHCR
2018-2019 Humanitarian Program.
• The 2018-19 Humanitarian Program has attracted keen focus from government and the
new Minister with a number of requirements from Minister Coleman that needed to be
worked through.
o Minister Coleman signed the composition of the 2018-19 Humanitarian Program
submission on 19 November 2018.
o However, the number of places for Venezuelans and other cohorts from South and
Central America are still in the process of finalisation.
o The 2018-19 Humanitarian Program has 18,750 places with a notional allocation of
17,100 places for offshore and 1,650 places for onshore.
o 9,458 places are notionally allocated for the Refugee category, 6,642 places for the
Special Humanitarian Program (SHP) and 1000 places for the Community Support
Program (CSP) stream.
o The number of places for vulnerable women, children and unaccompanied minors has
increased to 15% of the offshore program with a minimum of 2,565 places set aside.
o While the focus of this year’s program has remained on the Middle East, Africa and Asia,
South/Central America has been added as a priority region.
o Around 53 per cent of the offshore program is for resettlement from the Middle East, 23
per cent from Asia, 22 per cent from Africa and 1.5 per cent from South/Central America.
o The key nationality groups that will be resettled in 2018-19 include Syrians, Iraqis,
Yazidis, Afghans, Iranian Bahai’s, Congolese from the Democratic Republic of Congo,
Myanmarese in Thailand and Malaysia, Bhutanese, Ethiopians, and Eritreans and
Venezuelans
Priority Regions and Caseloads
Middle East
• Around 53 per cent of the offshore program will be for people from the Middle East
Region comprising:
o 5,158 Refugee
o 3,365 SHP
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• Priority groups include: Syrians, Iraqis, Yazidis and Iranian Baha’i’s (from Turkey).
Syrian and Iraqis (including Palestinian Iraqis) displaced in the Asia region.
• Priority will continue to be given to people displaced by conflict in Syria and Iraq who
were assessed as being most vulnerable: persecuted minorities, women, children and
families with the least prospect of ever returning safely to their homes.
• We seek UNHCR’s assistance for additional Iranian Bahai’s from Turkey,
s. 33(a)(iii)
Africa
• Around 22 per cent of the offshore program will be for people from the Africa Region
comprising:
o 3,100 Refugee
o 527 SHP
• Priority groups that will be resettled are: DRC Congolese, Ethiopians and Eritreans.
Nairobi Post
• In response to UNHCR’s request that we consider referrals from the Central African
Republic (CAR) located in Chad for resettlement in the 2017/18 Humanitarian Program,
we explored alternate processing modalities given the travel ban in place for Chad.
o UNHCR provided and continue to provide videoconferencing facilities to interview
this group.
o The CAR caseload located in Chad remains a priority group in the 2018-19
Humanitarian Program.
o We seek UNHCR’s assistance to continue referring the Central African Republicans
(Located in Chad):
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s. 33(a)(iii)
o We seek UNHCR’s assistance to establish a caseload of Eritreans and Ethiopians
from the ETM in Niger with agreement to up to 200 places in 2018-19
Cairo Post
Cairo post met with UNHCR a fortnight ago and discussed the following matters-
Program referrals
• Cairo’s increased allocation and their priority groups for this year’s program continue to
be Eritrean and Ethiopian cohorts.
s. 22(1)(a)(ii)
s. 33(a)(iii)
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s. 33(a)(iii)
s. 33(a)(iii)
Asia
• Around 23 per cent of the offshore program will be for people from the Asia Region.
Comprising:
o 1,100 Refugee
o 2, 550 SHP
• Priority groups include: Myanmarese in Malaysia, Thailand and smaller numbers from
India, Afghans from Pakistan and Bhutanese from Nepal.
• We will also consider small numbers of mixed nationality groups of Afghans, Syrians,
Iraqis and Pakistani minority groups.
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s. 22(1)(a)(ii)
s. 33(a)(iii)
South/Central America
• Around 1.5 per cent of the offshore program will be for people from the South/Central
American region possibly comprising;
o 150 Refugee
o 200 SHP
• Priority groups include; El Salvadorians, Guatemalans, Honduras and Venezuelans.
s. 22(1)(a)(ii)
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Community Support Program (CSP)
• The Community Support Program (CSP) provides an additional pathway for individuals
in humanitarian need, and a means for the broader Australian community to support
entrants and enhance settlement outcomes.
• The CSP is designed to create a sustainable model for private sponsorship of refugees that
complements the Refugee and Special Humanitarian Program (SHP) streams of the
Program – not duplicate them.
o The priorities for the CSP are targeted to provide a pathway for applicants who are
able to settle quickly and successfully, and make a valuable contribution to Australia.
o The Refugee and SHP streams remain the most appropriate pathway for those with
vulnerabilities or higher needs that require more intensive or specialist support.
o All streams (including the CSP) focus on the Government’s resettlement priorities
• The CSP has an employment focus and is designed to enable entrants to become
financially self-sufficient within 12 months of arrival. It does this through targeting
applicants who:
o are aged between 18 and 50
o have functional English
o have a job offer or skills to enable them to get a job quickly.
• Particular priority is given under CSP to applicants who are willing to live and work in
regional Australia.
o Regional under the CSP means any part of Australia outside Sydney, Melbourne,
Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide and Canberra.
o There are 12 Approved Proposing Organisations (APOs) who coordinate the application
process and settlement support given to entrants in their first 12 months in Australia.
o These organisations collectively provide national coverage across Australia.
o There are substantial costs associated with CSP applications, but these reflect the costs the
Government bears in full for entrants under the Refugee and SHP streams.
o APOs are strongly encouraged to work with NGOs and community groups to create
partnerships that share responsibility for funding CSP applications, and make it easy for
individuals, businesses and groups to contribute and support applicants according to their
capacity.
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• The CSP builds connections between communities and businesses, as well as families and
individuals and enables them to propose humanitarian visa applicants with employment
prospects through APOs.
• The CSP provides up to 1000 places drawn from the annual Humanitarian Program.
• As at 7 December 2018, 28 CSP visas have been granted, and 1009 applicants are on
hand.
o 24 entrants have arrived in Australia under the CSP as at 7 December 2018.
s. 22(1)(a)(ii)
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