15 May 2024 The Settlement Council of Australia (SCOA) has welcomed the investment of $120.0 million in settlement services announced in last night’s Federal Budget. SCOA’s Chair, Ms Melissa Monteiro, said “Migrant and refugee services are critical...
Media Release
SCOA welcomes changes to community sector funding
30 April 2024 The Settlement Council of Australia, the peak body for Australia’s migrant and refugee services, welcomes the Federal Government’s decision mandating government agencies to pass on indexation to community sector grant recipients where grant programs are...
SCOA Statement on the incident at the Assyrian Orthodox Church
16th April 2024On behalf of our 130 member organisations around the country, the Settlement Council of Australia extends its deepest sympathies to the Assyrian community. We wish Bishop, His Grace, Mar Mari Emmanuel, Father Isaac, and all those injured in yesterday’s...
Building a better migration system and a better future for all
The Settlement Council of Australia (SCOA) supports the release of the much-awaited Migration Strategy yesterday, however calls for a greater focus on supporting migrants after they arrive. The Council is calling for reforms that are focused on both building a better migration system and a better future for new migrants and refugees.
SCOA welcomes large scale reform recommendations to rebuild the Commonwealth Employment Services System
The Settlement Council of Australia welcomes large scale reform recommendations to fundamentally rebuild the Commonwealth Employment Services System, and urges the government to employ a comprehensive model that prioritises a jobseeker’s strengths over the ineffective...
Statement on Palestine and Israel: We must humanise civilians, condemn violence, and be a place for refuge
Friday 20 October 2023Statement on Palestine and Israel: We must humanise civilians, condemn violence, and be a place for refuge Australia’s settlement sector is comprised of organisations grounded in principles of human rights. One of our primary roles is...
Peak Body For Migrant And Refugee Services Welcomes Increase To Refugee Intake
The peak body for Australia’s settlement services has commended the Government on increasing Australia’s humanitarian intake from 17,875 to 20,000 per year.
SCOA welcomes investment for vital settlement services
The Settlement Council of Australia has welcomed the Federal Government’s commitment to invest $2.6 million for providers of the Settlement Engagement and Transition Support (SETS) program, which will provide long-awaited relief for settlement services facing...
Media Release: SCOA welcomes migrant worker protections
The Settlement Council of Australia (SCOA) welcomes the Federal Government’s package of reforms announced on Monday designed to address migrant worker exploitation. The Minister of Immigration, Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs, Andrew Giles committed to...
Media Release: 2023/24 Federal Budget neglects overwhelmed and underfunded settlement sector
SCOA is disappointed that the Federal Government has not gone far enough to address the growing pressures facing our neglected settlement service industry, with many migrants and refugees left behind in the 2023/24 Budget. The organisations delivering the Settlement...
Media Release: Settlement Sector calls on government to consider key migration recommendations for a better Australia
SCOA's Response to release of Migration Review The Settlement Council of Australia (SCOA) has praised the Federal Government’s announcement that all skilled temporary migrants currently in Australia will have a pathway to permanency, but is calling on the government...
Media Release: Statement in response to media reporting of housing crisis and immigration
The Settlement Council of Australia (SCOA) is concerned about suggestions made in the media in recent weeks that our country's rent crisis is due to immigration. Immigration is not the primary cause of housing shortages and rent increases. However, recent commentary...
