In December 2021 the federal government announced its new ‘CRISP’ program: the Community Refugee Integration and Settlement Pilot.
Based on the popular 40-year-old Canadian model, this program is expected to support 1,500 refugees referred by the UNHCR to the Australian government for resettlement between 2022 and 2025.
The CRISP program involves locals forming groups to welcome and support refugee households as they settle into their new community.
This includes meeting the new arrivals at the airport and helping them settle into their new home, and ongoing support might include help with navigating Centrelink, driving lessons or introducing them to a local businesses looking for staff.
Community Refugee Sponsorship Australia (CRSA) is delivering the CRISP program and is seeking informal local groups of five or more adults to put their hands up to welcome new refugees from overseas, with families starting to arrive from this month.
Local clubs, businesses and faith groups can instigate the formation of these groups and support those individuals in this important work in a variety of ways.
Councils can support the program by sharing information with their communities, and promoting a recorded information session.