scoa maia

The Settlement Council of Australia (SCOA) is grateful for the opportunity to make a submission in response to Migration Program Review as we represent a community of members whose core work is helping people make Australia home. 

This submission primarily addresses question 3 and 4 of the Key questions for review.  First, we address the key barriers to the participation of migrants and refugees in the labour market. Then we address ways to strengthen public confidence in Australia’s migration program by building trust in public institutions and governments, promoting social and civic networks, and utilising communication campaigns. Then we endorse the principles outlined by the Federation of Ethnic Communities Councils of Australia (FECCA) as underpinning our future migration system, namely that the system should be: Fair; Timely; Transparent and accountable; Simple; Informed; and Safe and supportive. Then, we urge the government to expand settlement services to ensure all migrants who come to Australia are eligible for at least a basic level of support and we urge the government to review and implement legislative and policy changes to qualification and skills recognition processes.

Communities for Change is a primary prevention 12-month program that trains people from Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) backgrounds in effective ways to stop domestic and family violence before it happens. The Communities for Change program uses peer education and a community-led approach.

Australia is a migrant nation and has relied on migration for population growth and labour productivity for decades. As the peak body for settlement services, the Settlement Council of Australia (SCOA) represents a community of members whose core work is helping people make Australia home.

As I reflect on 2022 as the year we emerged from the most challenging period of the pandemic, I am immensely proud of what we achieved. I am confident that together we have made a significant contribution to a more equitable, respectful and inclusive Australia. I am proud of the role that SCOA has played in advocacy, representation, capacity building and partnership brokering over the last year, and feel confident and hopeful of our path going forward.

AWFOSA delivers strengthening Relationship Program in partnership with other organisations such as Australian Refugee Association, Relationship Australia to support women on educational topics relating to Domestic and Family Violence and Healthy Relationships. One to one well-being checks, referrals to appropriate services, including counselling are also provided.

The idea of the Women’s Only Swimming program was birthed by a member of Stirling Multicultural Advisory Network (SMAN). The primary purpose of (SMAN) is to actively support the City’s Multicultural Framework development, including the implementation of actions, tracking, progress and reporting. They also provide feedback and suggestions in relation to the Multicultural Framework’s implementation.

Wednesday 26th October 2022: The peak body for settlement services, the Settlement Council of Australia, welcomes Labor’s first Budget. The Budget takes some good first steps to building a more welcoming society in the face of increasing migration.
 
Tuesday’s Budget included several measures that directly support people of migrant and refugee backgrounds:

Advance Diversity Services (ADS) started their work in 1981 as a not-for-profit organisation focusing on migrants and refugees, people from CALD backgrounds, and with a focus on older persons, community development and disability.

Monday 5 September 2022: The peak body for settlement services is calling on the government to urgently expand settlement assistance programs and ensure skilled migrants can access support services, following Friday’s announcement on the skilled migration cap at the jobs and skills summit.  

The Settlement Council of Australia (SCOA), comprising a network of over 115 member organisations nationally, welcomed remarks from Prime Minister Anthony Albanese at the Jobs and Skills summit that Australia would shift to a focus on permanent migration, reducing the over reliance on temporary migration.