Around 90% of refugee kids live in poverty in their first year in Australia: report
New research reveals how the visa someone arrives on shapes whether their first ten years are secure or spent in poverty.
Around 90% of refugee children in Australia live in poverty during their first year after arriving, according to a recent report. The study, conducted by analysts at the Australian Council of Social Service (ACOSS) and published in partnership with ACOSS, analyzed two Australian Bureau of Statistics datasets that linked settlement records to the 2021 census. The report is alarming, as it reveals that a significant number of refugees struggle to find stability and employment during their initial years in Australia.
Three out of five refugees arrive in poverty, living in households with $400 or less per week. Nearly three-quarters of these refugees live in households with $500 or less per week, and over 75% of men and 80% of women are not in the labour force. Shockingly, nearly 90% of refugee children under 15 years old live in households with $500 or less per week in their first year of arrival. This lack of financial stability can have severe consequences on their health, education, and later-life prospects.
As time passes, living standards do improve for many, but the progress tends to be slow and influenced by gender. By the third year after arrival, the labour force participation rate for men aged 25-44 increases to 58%, while full-time or part-time employment rises to 50% by the tenth year. However, women tend to enter the workforce more slowly, with 40% of them in full-time or part-time work by the tenth year due to caring responsibilities.
Approximately 33% of humanitarian entrants remain in poverty at the ten-year mark, affecting half of all children from refugee backgrounds. These findings demonstrate that while people experience substantial progress over time, more support is needed, particularly for women. The report highlights the necessity for employment and settlement support, as well as addressing barriers such as language barriers, limited employment skills, family sizes, location, and access to informal labour markets.
The report also points out that the Newly Arrived Resident Waiting Period policy, which requires people to wait four years after obtaining permanent residency before accessing the social security system, contributes to the hardships faced by migrants. This policy, still in place, affects both skilled and family migrants aged 25-44 years who were unemployed during the period.
Additionally, temporary visa holders face limitations due to work rights, relying on low payments via the Status Resolution Support Service while waiting for their claims to be processed.
To improve the situation, the report recommends reducing the number of years in the Newly Arrived Resident Waiting Period, increasing funding to the Status Resolution Support Services program, and investing further in settlement support. These recommendations align with previous reports from the Workforce Australia inquiry, the Accelerating Settlement Outcomes report by the Settlement Council of Australia, and reports by Settlement Services International.
Written by urgent.news from The Conversation AU's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
