Research and Publications

We research and provide insights into the issues and experiences of young people from refugee and migrant backgrounds, informing our policy advice and projects.

Reports

This Report provides an overview of basic demographic data and settlement trends for young people from refugee and migrant backgrounds arriving in Australia between July 2017 and June 2018 with a permanent (or provisional) visa. It is based on data from the period 1 July 2017 to 30 June 2018 provided by the Department of Social Services, as at 5th November 2018.2 MYAN has also drawn on the data of Department of Home Affairs in relation to asylum seekers living in the community with bridging visas. The Report should be read in conjunction with the stated caveats found under ‘Important Notes’ at the end of this document.

While this Report has a focus on young people arriving through Australia’s Refugee and Humanitarian Program (i.e. the ‘Humanitarian Program’), some of the data presents youth settlement trends across the whole Migration Program (i.e. Family and Skill streams). It also includes a brief overview of some of the issues facing young people from refugee and migrant backgrounds during the settlement process. These issues have been identified by MYAN through its national policy and advocacy work. MYAN has been preparing youth-focused settlement\ trends reports annually as young people make up an important portion of permanent arrivals to Australia and contribute significantly to an increasingly multicultural Australian society. This data report aims to demonstrate the diversity of young people arriving to Australia, not just in terms of demographic factors but also in terms of their arrival pathways and their settlement across Australia.

For an historic perspective, this Report may be read in conjunction with MYAN’s previous Data Report on Youth Settlement Trends in Australia and Humanitarian Youth Arrivals to Australia Information Sheets. These and other MYAN resources are available at www.myan.org.au

The Young People Creating Change Toolkit is a resource developed by the Australian Youth Affairs Coalition (AYAC) and revised in partnership with the Multicultural Youth Advocacy Network (MYAN). It is designed to help youth workers and facilitators conduct a two-day training course on advocacy and campaigning for young people, particularly those from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. It provides sessions on key topics such as advocacy basics, planning campaigns, stakeholder consultation, and using storytelling in advocacy. The toolkit focuses on experiential learning, enabling participants to develop practical advocacy skills while exploring their own experiences and beliefs, with an emphasis on inclusivity and empowering youth to create meaningful change in their communities.

This report is the first Australian census data analysis of young people from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds. It analyses the data through several factors such as education, employment and living arrangements. The report also dives into the diversity of nationalities of young people that have seek refuge in Australia.