RAILS - Refugee and Immigration Legal Service

14/10/2026

RAILS has joined organisations across Australia in calling for a National Migration Summit.

We support a more thoughtful, evidence-based conversation about migration, one that looks beyond short-term politics and focuses on building a fair, effective and sustainable migration system for the future.

Migration shapes communities, families and Australia’s future. It deserves careful, long-term planning.

You can review the joint statement and add your support here:
https://www.ssi.org.au/national-migration-summit/

12/10/2026

12/10/2026

02/10/2026

One week to go!

We're looking forward to seeing Ben Carrick and Amelia Sturton from RAILS present at the Queensland Law Society Specialist Practice Conference 2026 next week.

Their session will explore the growing shift towards paper-based protection visa decision-making and practical strategies for preparing stronger written applications.

If you're attending the conference, we'd love to connect and hear about the challenges and opportunities you're seeing in migration practice.
📅 Friday 9 October 2026
📍 Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre, Brisbane
Learn more and register: https://qlsevents.eventsair.com/spec-con-26/conference-individual/Site/Register
(Standard registration closes: 5pm Friday 2 October 2026, unless sold out prior.)

Member – 20% discount on non-member pricingAvailable to Full, Honorary, Associate and Student members of Queensland Law Society. 

28/09/2026

We're proud to see Ben Carrick and Amelia Sturton representing RAILS at the Queensland Law Society Specialist Practice Conference 2026.

Their presentation will examine the increasing move towards paper-based protection visa decision-making and share practical approaches to preparing stronger written applications for people seeking protection in Australia.

As migration law practitioners navigate a rapidly changing landscape, opportunities to share knowledge, strengthen practice and support better outcomes for clients have never been more important.

If you're attending the conference, we'd love to see you there.
📅 Friday 9 October 2026
📍 Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre, Brisbane
Learn more and register: https://qlsevents.eventsair.com/spec-con-26/conference-individual/Site/Register

28/09/2026

RAILS Management Committee Opportunity

RAILS is seeking a committed and experienced person to join our Management Committee as a voluntary member.

If you’re passionate about making a difference and have relevant skills or experience in governance, government, fundraising, philanthropy or lived experience of forced migration, we’d love to hear from you.

Find out more and apply here:

RAILS is seeking an experienced individual to join RAILS' Management Committee. The role requires a proactive, industrious professional person who wants to make a difference to RAILS and our clients.

25/09/2026

What if being yourself wasn’t safe?

Brisbane Pride Festival celebrates LGBTQIA+ community, visibility and progress, while recognising Pride’s roots in advocacy and protest. Brisbane Pride Festival 2026 runs from 26 September to 31 October, with the Rally & March and Fair Day taking place on 24 October.

For some LGBTQIA+ people, living openly can mean facing persecution in their home countries.

At RAILS, our LGBTQIA+ protection work includes:

🌈 Assisting people seeking protection in Australia because of persecution.

🤝 Supporting people who may also be navigating estrangement from family, cultural communities and other support networks.

⚖️ Providing a dedicated pathway into our protection practice, including full representation through the support of a pro bono partner.

💬 Helping clients communicate their experiences in a way decision-makers can understand. Culture, language and identity can shape how someone understands and expresses their queerness – and there is no single way an LGBTQ identity looks.

Everyone deserves the chance to live safely and freely as themselves. 🧡

✨ Find out more about Brisbane Pride Festival: www.brisbanepride.org.au

25/09/2026

Visa abuse can take many forms, and it is not always easy to recognise.

For people whose visa status is connected to their partner, threats about their visa can become a powerful tool of control.

Maria’s story shows how visa-related threats and controlling behaviour can leave someone feeling trapped — and why knowing your rights and available options can make a difference.

Read Maria’s story below. 💜

Maria came to Australia on a partner visa, hoping to build a safe and happy life with her partner. At first, everything seemed fine. Over time, however, her partner became controlling. He took her passport, monitored her phone calls, and threatened to cancel her visa if she did not do exactly what he said.

Maria felt afraid and isolated. She believed she would be forced to leave Australia if the relationship ended. Because of this, she stayed in the situation for much longer than she wanted to.

Eventually, Maria sought legal advice at RAILS and learned that people experiencing family violence may still have options to remain in Australia. With support, Maria was able to leave the abusive relationship, regain her independence, and start rebuilding her life.

Some names and identifying details have been changed to protect privacy. Certain events and timelines have been condensed or reconstructed for narrative clarity.

If you’re experiencing family violence and worried about your visa, you don’t have to face it alone. 💜
You may have options. RAILS can provide free, confidential legal advice and help you understand your rights and pathways.
👉 Learn more and find support at rails.org.au

21/09/2026

🕊 What does peace look like?

Peace can look like safety.
Dignity.
Belonging.
Justice.
And a path forward.

For RAILS, these aren’t abstract ideas. In recent years, our work has supported people whose lives have been shaped by conflict and persecution – including people affected by the crises in Afghanistan, Ukraine, Palestine and Israel.

During the crisis period of the Taliban-takeover in Afghanistan, RAILS provided intensive legal support to evacuees upon arrival in Australia, and later to their family members left behind and others still facing grave risk.

Today, we’re engaging in assisting Ukrainians, Palestinians and Israelis affected by conflict to access humanitarian pathways to remain in Australia.

Because peace isn’t only built at negotiating tables.

It is built every day – when people can find safety, reunite with family, understand their rights and begin again.

This International Day of Peace, we recognise the role that justice, protection and community play in building lasting peace.

🧡 Invest in Peace: For Everyone, Everywhere, Every Day.

02/09/2026

Event Spotlight | 2026 Solomon Lecture

The Office of the Information Commissioner Queensland will present the 2026 Solomon Lecture as part of this year’s International Access to Information Day program.

Journalist, author, media freedom advocate and academic Professor Peter Greste will deliver the keynote:

Journalists and Public Servants: Building trust in an age of misinformation

In an increasingly complex information environment, the lecture will explore the roles journalists and public servants can play in helping the public navigate misinformation and disinformation, strengthen public trust, and support open, transparent and accountable government.

The keynote will be followed by a panel discussion.

→ Monday, 28 September 2026

→ 9:30am – 11:30am
→ Premiers’ Hall, Parliament House, Brisbane/Meanjin

→ Free event

The lecture forms part of Queensland’s 2026 International Access to Information Day campaign, “Fact vs fake: Tackling information disorder in the digital age.”

Ahead of International Access to Information Day, RAILS is highlighting this event from OIC Queensland.

RAILS is sharing this event as part of the lead-up to International Access to Information Day.

Register with OIC Queensland to attend in person: https://app.vision6.com.au/em/forms/subscribe.php?db=920598&s=1061796&a=91598&k=1,A7M89l2PaokE7s-p0FfNVz2UlTKIRn3H8i1tq4p8oYQ

Watch the livestream via OIC Queensland: www.oic.qld.gov.au/iaid2026