When Yasser Ibrahim arrived in Australia in 2017, he knew little about the country that would become his new home.

Armidale local and freelance photographer Simon Scott partnered with Settlement Services International (SSI) to use his skills to foster the talent of aspiring photographer and Ezidi refugee Salwan Qasm Muhi.

Eighty-two signatories have endorsed an open pledge to support an affordable, inclusive community refugee sponsorship program in Australia, launched by SSI and 65 other community groups prior to the first-ever Global Refugee Forum (GRF), hosted by UNHCR in Geneva in December 2019.

A high jobless rate among newly arrived refugees is not indicative of a systemic unemployment crisis and typifying it as such ignores the long-term trends in refugee settlement, according to a leading refugee settlement provider.

Touching down at Sydney airport Syrian singer and oud player George Karam looked at his wife, Hana, and their daughter, Atra, and said: “Finally we reached Australia, a place where we will be treated with dignity and respect.”

Sitting in the kitchen with my mum a few weeks ago, I had the immense privilege of telling her that on January 26 I would be appointed a Member of the Order of Australia for significant service to the community, particularly in the area of refugee support.

Nohara Odicho, recipient of the STARTTS’ 2019 NSW Humanitarian Award for a Refugee Community Worker, arrived in Australia as a refugee with her father in 2015.

SSI CEO Violet Roumeliotis will amplify her community impact in 2020 through a series of new board appointments

Nepalese migrant and refugee communities are to benefit from innovative new services thanks to a collaboration between two members of the NSW Settlement Partnership (NSP).

Armidale Regional Council, a key partner in a Settlement Services International (SSI) program to relocate Ezidi refugees from Syria and northern Iraq, has won the Government Award in the 2019 Human Rights Awards, presented by the Australian Human Rights Commission in Sydney on December 13.

A retired police superintendent, a dance artist and members of a Community Hub were among recipients of SSI’s 2019 Community Appreciation Awards.

Yesterday, SSI’s Community Kitchen wrapped up a year of shared meals and cultural celebration with an end of year party for newcomers and local community members.

The first Global Refugee Forum (GRF) will be hosted by UNHCR in Geneva December 17-18.

Yasmin Farhart, an empowered, south west Sydney-based Lebanese woman living with disability, is a professional public speaker, educator, activist and advocate for diversity and inclusion. 

Since his diagnosis 35 years ago, inspirational speaker David Polson has participated in 28 drug trials to improve the treatment of the virus.

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.