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Australia

Australia hosts almost 60,000 refugees and 80,000 asylum seekers. Most are from the Middle East or Asia. It’s estimated that 8,000 people are stateless.

UNHCR’s Office in Canberra promotes refugee rights in Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Fiji, the Cook Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, Kiribati, the Marshall Islands, Nauru, Niue, Palau, Samoa, the Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu.

UNHCR supports Australia in developing national refugee legislation, increasing refugee status determination capacity, and introducing protection safeguards in immigration procedures. UNHCR also works with Australia on resettlement and building complementary pathways.

For over a decade, Australia has had offshore transfer arrangements with PNG and Nauru for those who seek asylum by boat. UNHCR advocates in relation to the legal and protection concerns of these arrangements and in seeking solutions for those remaining.

Additional information

For information about our work in Australia:

Help

Are you a refugee or asylum-seeker in Australia? Find information about your rights and available services on our HELP site.

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Australia website

Visit the UNHCR Australia website for more information on our work in the area and the latest local news and stories.

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Legislation and guidance

For legislation, case law and UNHCR policy relating to claims for international protection, visit Refworld.

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Office contact details

Street and postal address

14 Kendall Lane, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia

Please note that an appointment must be set to visit the office.

Email

Phone

  • Protection inquiries (3 pm to 5 pm Monday, Wednesday and Friday): +61 262 819 100
  • Media and Public Information Inquiries: + 61 424 545 569
  • Donation Inquiries in Australia (Australia for UNHCR): 1300 361 288
  • Donation Inquiries in New Zealand (Aotearoa New Zealand for UNHCR): +64 941 47 883

Timezone

+10 GMT

Working hours

  • Monday: 8:45 - 17:00
  • Tuesday: 8:45 - 17:00
  • Wednesday: 8:45 - 17:00
  • Thursday: 8:45 - 17:00
  • Friday: 8:45 - 17:00