Kurdish-Iranian journalist Behrouz Boochani’s long trip to safety made headlines around the world last month. After six years on Manus Island under Australia’s offshore processing regime, Behrouz obtained a temporary visa to visit New Zealand for a literary event and took a circuitous route to safety that involved a 19-hour layover in the Philippines.

A common misunderstanding about refugees is that they are the sole beneficiaries of our country’s resettlement program. A government-commissioned report released last week challenges this misconception by highlighting all that we have to gain by effectively welcoming newcomers.

This year, SSI has had the honour of working alongside a group of talented budding journalists, content producers and media professionals.

A unique approach to regional refugee settlement is delivering strong results for integration and refugee retention in the new settlement location of Armidale, offering insights that will guide other regional centres seeking to welcome newcomers as long-term members of their communities.

Last week, Colombo Social, a fresh new Sri Lankan restaurant dedicated to providing employment for asylum seekers launched in Enmore, dishing up colourful Sri Lankan cuisine.

Leading agency calls for immediate action * Investing in Refugees, Investing in Australia: the findings of a Review into Integration, Employment and Settlement Outcomes for Refugees and Humanitarian Entrants in Australia. Settlement Services International (SSI), one of Australia’s largest refugee settlement agencies, calls for three immediate actions in response to today’s report, citing employment and community models in their Regional Settlement Strategy as key to future success.

Through the generosity of community minded individuals and organisations, the SSI Mosaic Gala raised a record  $50,000 to support refugees on the pathway to employment and education.

There is a pressing need for greater diversity in our media and newsrooms. A report released this week shows more than half of opinion articles on the topic of race in Australia contain a negative portrayal of racial minorities.

The Settlement Services International (SSI) New Beginnings Festival welcomes people of all abilities to join the festivities at Tumbalong Park, Sydney, on Saturday, November 16.

Arriving in Australia with his family in 2016 was the proudest moment of Hassan Abode’s life.

The spotlight was turned on Australia’s culturally diverse female artists and music practitioners earlier this month at the Australian Women in Music Awards (AWMA).

L-Fresh the Lion to perform as part of leading arts and culture festival’s fifth-anniversary celebrations The annual arts and culture festival that showcases Australia’s leading talent from refugee and migrant backgrounds has announced its most eclectic and renowned program to date. 

Pema Dolkar is an up-and-coming SBS reporter who last year covered an initiative in Sydney’s Northern Beaches where Tibetan refugees are learning how to navigate Australia’s picturesque waterways.

Before Tiba Obada participated in SSI’s newest social enterprise, The Experience Centre (‘TEC’), she was less confident as a job seeker. But after engaging with TEC, Ms Obada’s job morale and skills have developed both personally and professionally. 

State government agencies and their partners work in collaboration to connect refugee job seekers with secure, long-term employment When Rania Shahoud, her husband and their two sons arrived in Australia in 2017 from Aleppo, Syria, she didn’t know whether she’d ever find a job.

The challenges of finding employment and navigating the Australian employment sector as a new arrival was at the forefront of conversations at a recent employment expo held at SSI's Community Kitchen.

Growing up as a member of the Greek diaspora, I saw a lot of people who were not able to realise their dreams due to barriers outside of their control. 

The intersection between ancient cultures was at the heart of a trailblazing paper by two SSI staff members at one of Australia’s leading multicultural conferences last week.

For the second year running, Settlement Services International (SSI) is partnering with Australian Women in Music Awards (AWMA) to turn the spotlight on culturally diverse female artists and music practitioners through the SSI Diversity in Music Award.

When Kaddie Conteh first started with SSI’s newest social enterprises, The Experience Centre (‘TEC’), she lacked the confidence to speak up in a professional environment.