Connections to broader community Empowerment and engagement of refugee communities with the broader community is critical to fostering refugees’ civic, economic and social contribution. Professor Hugo observed that different groups take varying lengths of time to engage with the broader community and that this is influenced by cultural norms as well as other factors, such as the amount of time spent in refugee camps and the availability of leadership within the community. In addition to its own survey, the report also examined the Settlement Outcomes of New Arrivals (SONA) Study, commissioned by DIAC, which indicated that humanitarian entrants felt as well-connected to their community as other categories of migrants, with only 6.7 per cent reporting that they did not feel connected. Humanitarian entrants also reported that they had been treated well by the community since coming to Australia, with only 2.7 per cent reporting that they had not. Despite this, Professor Hugo found that humanitarian entrants face considerable difficulties in adjustment, especially in the labour market. Figure 11: Recent arrivals to Australia by migration stream: Have you been treated well since coming to Australia? 100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 Humanitarian Family Skilled Category Yes Sometimes No No answer
Connections to broader community Empowerment and engagement of refugee communities with the broader community is critical to fostering refugees’ civic, economic and social contribution. Professor Hugo observed that different groups take varying lengths of time to engage with the broader community and that this is influenced by cultural norms as well as other factors, such as the amount of time spent in refugee camps and the availability of leadership within the community. In addition to its own survey, the report also examined the Settlement Outcomes of New Arrivals (SONA) Study, commissioned by DIAC, which indicated that humanitarian entrants felt as well-connected to their community as other categories of migrants, with only 6.7 per cent reporting that they did not feel connected. Humanitarian entrants also reported that they had been treated well by the community since coming to Australia, with only 2.7 per cent reporting that they had not. Despite this, Professor Hugo found that humanitarian entrants face considerable difficulties in adjustment, especially in the labour market. Figure 11: Recent arrivals to Australia by migration stream: Have you been treated well since coming to Australia? 100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 Humanitarian Family Skilled Category Yes Sometimes No No answer