About Refugees
A refugee, defined by the United Nations Convention, is any person who has a well-founded fear of being persecuted because of their:
- Race
- Religion
- Nationality
- Membership of a particular social group
- Political opinion
According to the UNHCR we are now witnessing the highest levels of displacement on record. An unprecedented 65.6 million people around the world have been forced from home. Among them are nearly 22.5 million refugees, over half of whom are under the age of 18. There are also 10 million stateless people.
About Asylum Seekers
Asylum seekers are people who have applied for protection and are awaiting determination of their status.
More information about asylum seekers including resources and information about healthcare access in Queensland here
More Information
- UNHCR Refugee stories
- Promoting the health of refugees and migrants Draft global action plan, 2019–2023, Report by the Director-General, WHO
- Amnesty International – Short films about refugees recommended by human rights educators
- Refugee and Asylum Seeker facts – Australian Red Cross
- 5 ways you can help refugees
- Australian Human Rights Commission
About Refugee Health
People of refugee background are affected by distinct health inequalities that arise from their experiences both prior to arrival in Australia and after arrival. These issues are often compounded by the effects of torture and trauma. Prior to arrival, some refugee clients may have had:
- Interrupted access to health care
- Limited access to safe drinking water, inadequate/interrupted access to nutritious food
- Limited access to preventative care, medical treatment or health education
- Experiences of uncertainty, deprivation, loss of dignity, separation from loved ones and being forced to make impossible decisions.
- High barriers to service access
- Being a minority in an unfamiliar culture
- Having to negotiate new systems (often with low English proficiency)
- Ongoing separation from loved ones
- Stress related to receiving bad news from country of origin/refuge
- Not having vocational skills recognized
‘Refugee Transitions’ – Free downloads of the magazine from STARTTS here
Refugee Populations
- GLOBAL TRENDS FORCED DISPLACEMENT IN 2020 (UNHCR)
- Understanding Refugee communities – Refugee Council of Australia
- Timeline of Australia’s refugee policies [2019] UNSW Law Society Court of Conscience 13
- Queensland Health – Community Profiles
- Building a New Life in Australia: The Longitudinal Study of Humanitarian Migrants – National Centre for Longitudinal Data – David Marshall Read it here.
Yazidi Population
The Yazidis are an emerging refugee community in Queensland. For more information
- Client Group: YAZIDI – STARTTS
- Individual, collective, and transgenerational traumatization in the Yazidi (BMC Medicine)
- Yazidi Population Profile: Canada
Syrian Population
Central African Republic
Rohingya refugees
- Abuse or Exile: Myanmar’s Ongoing Persecution of the Rohingya – Refugees International
- CULTURE, CONTEXT AND MENTAL HEALTH OF ROHINGYA REFUGEES; A review for staff in mental health and psychosocial support programes for Rohingya refugees (UNHCR, 2018)
Other Refugee Communities in Queensland
Greater Brisbane Refugee Health Advisory Group reports about refugee communities in Brisbane. These reports inform health professionals about the health issues currently impacting on these communities.
- Health Action Plans Feb 2014
- A Syrian family’s journey through health and life – By Michel Ghazal – Presentation to Brisbane South PHN (Oct, 2018)
- Syrian Community – Health issues
- Burundi Community – Health issues
- Communities from Burma – Health issues
- Rwandan community – Health issues
- Iraqi community – Health issues
Australian Refugee Health Guide (2018)
Why focus on Refugee Health – Includes information about people from refugee backgrounds and people seeking asylum in Australia, how people can be identified and common health concerns for people from refugee backgrounds. Read it here.
Report to the World Health Organization April 2018
A Rapid Review of Evidence-Based Information, Best Practices and Lessons Learned in Addressing the Health Needs of Refugees and Migrants – Report to the World Health Organization (April 2018) – Read the full report here.
Asylum Seekers, Refugees and Human Rights Snapshot Report (2nd ed.)
Published by the Human Rights Commission. Read the full report here.