In the media
In the community
Nine News reported that Home Affairs has observed an increase in UK and Irish visa holders applying for asylum just to extend their stay in Australia. A Syrian man, who settled in Australia as a refugee 10 years ago, is a prosthetist who worked with Australia’s Paralympic team. The theme for Refugee Week 2026 is “A Million Stories”.
Australian Story featured a sequel on the story of an Iraqi refugee who had lost both his arms in a workplace accident, and faced significant bureaucratic barriers to getting visas for his wife and children to visit while he underwent complex surgery. SBS News in Depth published a feature on a new program in NSW to assist LGBTIQ people with humanitarian visa applications.
In detention
The authority monitoring detention and imprisonment released a report showing a total of 12 escapes from onshore immigration detention since the new contractor took over operations last year.
Iranians in Australia
Tracey Holmes, who provided extensive coverage of the situation of the Iranian footballers as events unfolded, published an in-depth analysis of how the situation unfolded and the likely impacts on team members upon their return. Iranian footballers living in Australia detailed the extent of the regime’s surveillance on people, especially sports people. An Iranian refugee who rushed at one of the Bondi massacre shooters faces deportation due to his history of family violence which resulted in his humanitarian visa being cancelled.
International
Over 200,000 people have crossed the Lebanon-Syria border and 3.2 million Iranians are internally displaced as a result of the US-Israeli bombing campaigns in Lebanon and Iran. The UNSW Kaldor Centre is one of a number of organisations contributing to a US Supreme Court case on the legality of preventing people from lodging asylum claims at the border. The Connectivity for Refugees program, a collaboration by UNHCR and ITU to ensure refugees have access to digital connectivity, won the 2026 Global Award for Mobilisation.
In policy
The High Court ruled that the government’s amended legislation, to correct the unconstitutionality of previous legislation around ankle monitoring of ex-detainees, was also unconstitutional. The legislation to temporarily ban visa holders from entering Australia has been roundly criticised by experts in refugee law.
In research
Research into the settlement experience of refugees in regional Australian locations found an overwhelming majority felt welcomed and saw a future for themselves. The Scanlon Research Institute published a webinar discussion of their 2025 Refugee Experiences in Australia study. UNSW Law and Justice opened two PhD scholarship opportunities in their Evacuations Research Hub at the Kaldor Centre.
New releases and events
Refugees, asylum and inclusion symposium, presented by the Melbourne Social Equity Institute at the University of Melbourne
When the Water Horse Seeks a New Home, a documentary by Andrianus Oetjoe