Submissions for Australia’s Humanitarian Program will start from August, 2025

The Department of Home Affairs  has released a discussion paper that will help them understand the Humanitarian Programme 2025–26. It is designed to help people make decisions about Australia's next Humanitarian Programme. This yearly report explains how the government handles security and resettlement for humanitarian reasons. Anyone who wants to share their ideas on how to improve the course and run it better in 2025–26 is asked to do so. 

What measures are taken by the Australian Government?

Oz has always wanted to help people in need and give them a safe place to start over, as shown by its Humanitarian Programme. One part of the plan is offshore resettlement for refugees and other people in humanitarian need. The other part is onshore protection for people who come to Australia legally and meet the country's obligations under international law to protect them.

The government of Australia wants the Humanitarian Programme to stay kind, flexible, and aware of the need for safety around the world. Australia is the world leader in moving people, which shows that it wants to work with other countries and help weak people.

Community Refugee Integration and Settlement Pilot (CRISP)

A lot of people are talking about the Community Refugee Integration and Settlement Pilot (CRISP) this year. In 2022, the UN High Commissioner for people (UNHCR) sent "unlinked" people to CRISP. These are refugees who don't have family in Australia. It is a one-of-a-kind plan for these refugees to live in the neighbourhood. The government said early in 2025 that CRISP would be a permanent part of the Humanitarian Programme starting in 2026. 

It's clear that CRISP works well. As of April 22, 2025, the trial scheme had helped 611 refugees find new homes. Most of them said they were welcome in Australia and had no trouble getting used to it. Conventional settlement services are run by the government. CRISP refugees, on the other hand, get help directly from trained community workers. People in these Community Support Groups get real help with things like finding housing, work, medical care, and getting better at English. They do this by making people feel like they fit and getting people involved in their communities. 

The Department wants everyone who wants to read the Humanitarian Programme 2025–26 Discussion Paper and share their thoughts on the program's aims, size, make-up, and methods of giving help, such as how CRISP and other community-led projects can develop in the future. 

The due date for your work is 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, August 6, 2025. You can send it in now. To read the discussion paper and make a submission, visit the Department of Home Affairs website.