About settlement Moving to a new country is often a difficult and stressful experience. Homesickness, culture Many recently arrived humanitarian shock and a sense of isolation are just some entrants have spent long periods in of the circumstances that can affect the ease refugee camps before coming to Australia. with which a person is able to settle. These They may have no experience of renting a issues are compounded when a person has home, running a little or no knowledge of English. household, or managing a budget. The urban environment and the Australian way of life Many people arriving in Australia the generally will be new and challenging. They Migration and Humanitarian Programs need may also need assistance to find their way assistance to overcome these challenges. around the variety of Australian Government The level of support required depends on and community services. each person’s circumstances, both before coming to Australia and upon arrival. Just as importantly, the roles of mothers, fathers, teenagers and children can change Experiences before arrival can affect how significantly on arriving in Australia, and this quickly and easily a person can adapt to life in can place considerable stress on the family. Australia. This is particularly true of humanitarian entrants who might: A significant proportion of the current humanitarian intake is In 2006–07, about have experienced high levels of poverty • 68 per cent were under the age of 26 and about be suffering from the effects of torture and • 45 per cent were under the age of 16. Many trauma of these entrants have had limited education have low levels of formal education • and need assistance to overcome this have little or no knowledge of English. • challenge. 8
About settlement Moving to a new country is often a difficult and stressful experience. Homesickness, culture shock and a sense of isolation are just some of the circumstances that can affect the ease with which a person is able to settle. These issues are compounded when a person has little or no knowledge of English. Many people arriving in Australia the Migration and Humanitarian Programs need assistance to overcome these challenges. The level of support required depends on each person’s circumstances, both before coming to Australia and upon arrival. Experiences before arrival can affect how quickly and easily a person can adapt to life in Australia. This is particularly true of humanitarian entrants who might: • have experienced high levels of poverty • be suffering from the effects of torture and trauma • have low levels of formal education • have little or no knowledge of English. Many recently arrived humanitarian entrants have spent long periods in refugee camps before coming to Australia. They may have no experience of renting a home, running a household, or managing a budget. The urban environment and the Australian way of life generally will be new and challenging. They may also need assistance to find their way around the variety of Australian Government and community services. Just as importantly, the roles of mothers, fathers, teenagers and children can change significantly on arriving in Australia, and this can place considerable stress on the family. A significant proportion of the current humanitarian intake is In 2006–07, about 68 per cent were under the age of 26 and about 45 per cent were under the age of 16. Many of these entrants have had limited education and need assistance to overcome this challenge. 8