Family, domestic and sexual violence (FDSV) is a pervasive violation of human rights that affects all communities in Australia. For migrant and refugee women and children, however, the experience and impact of violence is shaped by additional, intersecting factors including visa insecurity, language barriers, systemic racism, social isolation, transnational family dynamics, and unequal access to services and justice.
The Settlement Council of Australia (SCOA) represents over 160 settlement and multicultural service providers nationally. These services are among the earliest and most trusted points of contact for newly arrived communities. As such, the settlement sector occupies a critical but under-recognised position in Australia’s response to FDSV, particularly in prevention and early intervention.
This policy position argues that:
- Settlement is not ancillary to safety; it is structural prevention and early intervention.
- Commonwealth settlement, migration, digital and income-support settings materially shape violence risk and recovery outcomes.
- Failure to integrate settlement into national FDSV policy frameworks entrenches crisis-driven responses and avoidable harm1.
- Settlement is critical national infrastructure underpinning social cohesion, belonging, economic participation and democratic trust, and must be recognised as such in Commonwealth investment and policy settings.