Settlement Cities: A place-based study of Australia's major refugee settlement destinations

The report takes a place-based approach to refugee settlement, focusing on the LGAs where refugees most frequently settle in Australia. Based on in-depth qualitative interviews and focus groups with refugees and local service providers, the report highlights: the aspirations, achievements and challenges refugees experience when settling in Australia; how refugees feel about the places they now live in; refugee experiences of community and belonging; challenges and strategies for equitable access to local services. The report draws attention to the major contribution ethno-specific community associations and networks make to helping new refugee arrivals settle more quickly and easily in Australia. It calls for improved government funding for and engagement with small ethno-specific community associations to support and enhance the crucial work they do. Another major contribution is the report's case-study based discussion of best practices in inclusive service delivery based on the experience of Settlement Cities and its recommendations for approaches to fostering more consistently inclusive service-delivery in areas that settle large numbers of refugees.