Refugee Legal

07/03/2026

The International Women's Day 2026, ‘Give to Gain’, encourages us to reflect on reciprocity and collaboration.

Today, we honour the resilience of the many refugee and migrant women and girls who have experienced devastating harm due to their gender. This includes so many women and girls who have suffered harm at the hands of a violent partner or family member, those facing forced marriage or those who bear the brunt of armed conflict.

Just last Monday, I attended a protection visa interview with a courageous woman named Julie.

Julie and her young daughter, Annette, fled their home in Kenya after they were subjected to physical and sexual abuse at the hands of their husband and father. They arrived in Australia on visitor visas and were referred to Refugee Legal by a family violence support service.

Showing great strength and vulnerability, Julie told her story of the harm she and Annette had faced at the hands of her husband. She asked for safety in Australia for Annette and herself. I reflected on our shared experiences as women and mothers. I was deeply moved by her courage.

At Refugee Legal we assist hundreds of women and children like Julie and Annette—women and children who would otherwise continue to face harm at the hands of violent family members.

I proudly work alongside lawyers, administrative and management staff and volunteers who give their all in defending the rights of refugee women and children. As we continue to advocate for safety and change for our clients, we too gain from this experience.



🔗 DONATE:

refugeelegal.org.au/get-involved/donate/

06/03/2026

March 8 is International Women's Day 2026. At Refugee Legal, we proudly work side by side with women and girls impacted by gender-based violence.

We listen to their stories, we provide advice and we work together to promote their rights and advocate for a safer future.

Our legal work helps women to rebuild their lives in safety with dignity and hope for the future.

20/02/2026

We are recruiting a solicitor to support our service expansion to address the legal needs of asylum seekers, refugees and disadvantaged migrants in the Northern Territory.

⏳ Applications close 5pm, Monday 9 March 2026.

🔗 For further information about the role, including the position description and how to apply, visit:

https://www.ethicaljobs.com.au/members/rilc/solicitor-29

23/12/2025

Last month, Australia granted its one-millionth refugee visa since the end of the Second World War. This achievement is one of the golden threads of modern Australian history. As a nation, we are immeasurably richer, more vibrant and, ultimately, stronger because of our refugee resettlement program. It is central to who we are and who we will be. Not just in social and cultural terms, but also economically. In truth, it is a fundamental part of the life and fabric of our nation.

Amidst the current global turbulence and upheaval, it is crucial that we mark and embrace this milestone. Our refugee intake is a driving force for our future, enabling us to respond to people in need with empathy.

With your support, this is the work we do at Refugee Legal. Thanks to your support and generosity, Refugee Legal has provided unprecedented levels of legal assistance to thousands of vulnerable people in predicaments that could hardly matter more: seeking protection from persecution, safety from family violence, freedom from detention and reuniting with family.

Your support has also been crucial in enabling us to have a significant systemic impact, whether through strategic litigation preventing individuals from being removed to Nauru, advocating against family violence, processing protection visa backlogs, responding to global crises such as the conflicts in Ukraine, Afghanistan, Israel-Gaza and Myanmar, addressing issues in immigration detention or collaborating with the global legal community to enhance legal assistance for forcibly displaced persons.

Because of your generosity, we have changed the course of so many people’s lives immeasurably for the better - giving them hope and a chance to build a better life in safety and with dignity.

But real change does not happen on its own. Let’s work together in 2026 to help create the kind of society and world we want to live in, dream of and defend.

🔗 DONATE NOW:

refugeelegal.org.au/get-involved/donate/

22/12/2025

Refugee Legal is closing for the holiday break.

Refugee Legal will reopen on Monday 5 January at 9am.

During the break our phonelines and emails are being monitored and urgent matters will be responded to.

All non-urgent matters will be responded to when we reopen on Monday 5 January.

17/12/2025

🔔 Our CEO, David Manne, is moderating and presenting tonight (AEDT) at the High-Level Officials meeting of the UNHCR Global Refugee Forum (Progress Review 2025) in Geneva.

The session is called: “Strong and sustainable asylum systems: addressing challenges, enabling protection and solutions”.

This session will provide a moment to reflect on achievements, assess ongoing challenges, and chart a path forward to ensure that asylum systems are sustainably strengthened to effectively address the pressing challenges that they face.

TIME:

🕦 11.30pm – 12.45am (Melb - AEDT)
🕜 1.30pm – 2.45pm (Geneva - CET)

🔗 You can live stream the session here:

View the livestream and recorded webcasts from the plenary session of the GRF Progress Review 2025 in Geneva, Switzerland.

11/12/2025

Today, as we mark Human Rights Day, the world order is being fundamentally reshaped amidst dangerous global humanitarian crises. The space for safety is shrinking, reminding us that human rights can never be a mere footnote.

Today, amidst this, we are launching our End of Year Appeal.

In the words of Volker Türk, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, in his video message for the 80th anniversary of the commencement of the UN Charter in 1945: “...inequalities are rising, conflicts are raging, the climate emergency is mounting, and some are creating and trying to deepen divisions within societies and between countries. But we must not give up.”

Here, the need to protect human rights is more urgent than ever.

People who had held residency in Australia as refugees are being rounded up in dawn raids, re-detained and served with Notices for Removal to Nauru on visas they did not ask for and do not want.

Right now, we're continuing to fight against these and other injustices for thousands of people who seek our help - through direct legal action for many and strategic litigation for systemic change.

📢 We continue to advocate fearlessly for urgent, major reform:

• Ending deportation to danger without due process
• Ending deportation to permanent exile from Australia
• Real opportunities for families to reunite here
• Enduring protection in Australia for all people held in PNG and Nauru—and those brought back here
• A safety net of supports for all in need

Real change does not just happen on its own. It’s up to us to make it happen—together.

On , please consider donating to power our work to directly defending the rights of people whose lives are on the line—ensuring they get a fair go before the law and a better tomorrow.

🔗 DONATE NOW:

refugeelegal.org.au/get-involved/donate/

26/11/2025

Please join us for Refugee Legal’s Annual Dinner, to be held on Tuesday 9 December 2025.

Our annual dinner is an opportunity to celebrate the year’s outstanding achievements and to focus on future challenges. It's also a key fundraiser to support our vital work defending the rights and dignity of asylum seekers, refugees and vulnerable migrants.

We are honoured to have Behrouz Boochani as our keynote speaker this year. Behrouz is a Kurdish Iranian writer, political scientist and internationally acclaimed advocate for displaced people, now based in Wellington, New Zealand. His commentary appears in The Guardian, The Atlantic and The Washington Post, receiving honours including the STARTTS Humanitarian Award, Amnesty International Media Award and the Voltaire Empty Chair Award. On stage he challenges complacency, offering actionable insight into ethical leadership, human rights and the future of migration.

We're excited to announce our MC for the night will be award-winning stand-up comedian, actor, writer and broadcaster Tom Ballard—a valued ambassador for Refugee Legal for many years.

🔗 TICKETS: trybooking.com/DGVNS

17/10/2025

We are recruiting solicitors to provide high quality legal assistance to asylum seekers, refugees and disadvantaged migrants.

⚖️ Solicitors will work in our community team to provide high quality legal support, including assisting with and supervising our Monday Evening Advice Service.

🔗 www.ethicaljobs.com.au/members/rilc/solicitor-26

⏳ Applications close 5pm, Monday 27 October 2025.

09/10/2025

09/10/2025

This Friday!

Refugee Legal will be hosting an information session to provide an overview of the legal services available in the Territory. Come along to learn how Refugee Legal can support you or your community.

The session will be held on Friday 10 October 2025 between 1.00pm-3.00pm at Melaleuca Australia (Training Room) on 24 McLachlan Street, Darwin.

Complete this form to register your attendance https://forms.office.com/r/XMhp9L9tmv