The Australian Government has announced that a program that allows refugees to be sponsored by local community groups will be made permanent in 2026.
So far, the program has enabled around 550 refugees to be settled in towns and cities across Australia with the support of community groups.
What is CRISP?
The Community Refugee Integration and Settlement Pilot (CRISP) is a program which connects refugees to volunteer community groups, who provide practical and financial support and assistance to the individual or family for 12 months. The government has been running it as a pilot for three years.
The CRISP provides an alternative resettlement pathway for refugees referred by the UN Refugee Agency, but who do not have family links in Australia.
Under the program, refugees receive wraparound settlement and integration support directly from trained community groups to help them navigate life in their new country – from meeting at the airport and providing temporary accommodation, food, household goods and short-term financial support, to assistance with securing long-term housing, registering for services, enrolling in school and adult education classes, and applying for jobs.
Participants can access the same government services as other humanitarian visa holders, such as Medicare and Centrelink.
“At Amnesty we know that Australians care deeply about refugees who have suffered harm, and want their government to do more to help. The CRISP becoming a permanent program will ensure an ongoing opportunity for more refugees to seek safety and protection in Australia, and receive the warmth, solidarity and community support that is available.“
Zaki Haidari, Amnesty International Australia’s Strategic Campaigner on Refugees
The My New Neighbour campaign and community sponsorship model
Our My New Neighbour campaign launched in 2018 calling for a fair and just community sponsorship program for refugees.
At the time, the Government’s existing Community Support Program was a small, private model of sponsorship with significant limitations: the costs were exorbitant, it had strict age and English Language requirements, and it prioritised those who were willing to work in regional Australia, rather than those in urgent need of resettlement.
Along with other civil society organisations, we developed an alternative model that argued that community or faith-based groups could sponsor those UNHCR identified as in most need, who did not have family links in Australia and were not yet job-ready.
We recommended that the Australian community could support the sponsorship of around 10,000 refugees per annum through a community sponsorship program.
Our supporters threw their support behind the campaign, with almost 40,000 signatories. The My New Neighbour campaign gained support from local Councils around Australia, who pledged their support for a new community sponsorship model, similar to Canada’s.
“The success of the CRISP shows the solidarity and big heart of the Australian community in welcoming and supporting refugees. We have long advocated for such a program.“
Zaki Haidari, Amnesty International Australia’s Strategic Campaigner on Refugees
CRISP in action
After years of Amnesty’s advocacy and following a groundswell of action from supporters, the community, civil society groups, local councils and state governments, at the end of 2021 the Government announced the CRISP pilot, providing 1,500 places over four years.
It also finally agreed to significantly reduce the cost of the existing Community Sponsorship Program, addressing our concern that sponsorship must be affordable and accessible for everyday Australians to participate and welcome refugees into their communities.
In September 2022 the first refugee families from Syria, Afghanistan and Myanmar arrived in Australia under the program. Since commencing in 2022, this live-saving initiative has enabled 140 community groups around the country to support more than 550 refugees to rebuild their lives in safety in Australia.
What’s next?
We still have improvements to make – such as increasing the number of places allocated. Since the Government has finally recognised the important role communities and everyday Australians can play in humanitarian settlement, this now feels all the more possible.
We’re continuing to advocate for the Federal government to raise Australia’s refugee and humanitarian intake to at least 30,000 places, and for this program to exist in addition to it.
Amnesty International is a global movement of more than 10 million people who take injustice personally. We are campaigning for a world where human rights are enjoyed by all – and we can only do it with your support.
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