Refugees and social exclusion: What the literature says

Abstract

Article from Migration Action, vol. XXVI, no.2, 2004, pp.16–31

Refugees and social exclusion: What the literature says Janet Taylor

Introduction Refugees have been the focus of considerable public concern in recent years and of a range of government and community responses. For the Brotherhood of St Laurence our vision of ‘an Australia free of poverty’ involves ensuring that all people are able to live free of poverty in an inclusive society. This paper looks at the particular situations of refugees in Australia in terms of poverty and social exclusion and raises issues for further research and policy development. The Brotherhood of St Laurence has carried out research on aspects of poverty and disadvantage in Australia since the 1940s. The Ecumenical Migration Centre (EMC), established in the 1960s to work with newly arrived immigrant and refugee groups, is now part of the Brotherhood.