Australia’s Refugee Student Settlement Pathway (RSSP) represents a bold new blueprint for refugee education and settlement. Building on Canada’s successful Student Refugee Program and similar initiatives in Australia, the RSSP aims to create a pathway for young refugees to study at Australian universities while accessing the support needed to settle and build a future in their new home.

What Is the Refugee Student Settlement Pathway?

The RSSP is designed as an educational complementary pathway, drawing inspiration from other successful models such as Australia’s Community Refugee Integration and Settlement Pilot (CRISP) and the Skilled Refugee Labour Mobility Pilot. Specifically, the RSSP will take a peer-to-peer approach, encouraging Australian students to actively support young refugees on their journey to higher education. The program also envisions collaboration among government, universities, community groups, and students with lived experience of forced migration, emphasizing a whole-of-society approach to refugee settlement.

What Will RSSP Achieve?

The RSSP has transformative potential, both for refugee students and the broader Australian society:

New Resettlement Opportunities: By expanding resettlement options in Australia, the RSSP could engage universities, their staff, and students as active participants in refugee protection and integration.
Hope and Security for Young Refugees: For young people who have experienced displacement, the RSSP offers a chance to rebuild their lives in safety, pursuing their educational and career goals with long-term stability.
Increased Public Awareness and Support: With universities leading the charge in settlement support, more Australians may become invested in refugee causes, fostering greater empathy and understanding.
Enhanced Employment Outcomes: By connecting refugee students with higher education, the program aims to enhance their employability and contribute to addressing skills gaps in Australia’s workforce, a benefit that could help alleviate local professional shortages.

Building on a Global Model

As the RSSP is modeled on Canada’s Student Refugee Program, which has supported over two thousand young refugees since 1978, Australia’s approach would similarly include practical support and settlement assistance. At the recent Asia-Pacific Association for International Education conference, Dr. Sally Baker from Australian National University (ANU) discussed her involvement in designing the program and the importance of education for refugees. Dr. Baker’s research highlights the need for higher education access, especially as only 7 percent of refugee youth worldwide are currently enrolled in college or university.

Ahmad Al-kheat, a refugee from Iraq and Syria, shared his experience with the Canadian Student Refugee Program, explaining how it allowed him to study at Queen’s University in Ontario and ultimately become a software engineer. Reflecting on the opportunities the RSSP could bring to Australia, he said, “Such a program would help refugees greatly. Without [it], refugees can’t afford higher education costs.”

How Would the RSSP Work?

If approved, the RSSP would launch with a four-year pilot phase. This pilot would be a collaborative effort involving universities, the government, and community supporters who would help refugee students with visa applications, temporary accommodation, and accessing critical services like Centrelink. Academic preparation, English language courses, and counseling would further equip students for success.

What could the RSSP look like?

Source: https://refugee-education.org/co-designing-a-blueprint-for-the-refugee-student-settlement-pathway-rssp

Awaiting Cabinet Approval

Currently under review by the Cabinet, the RSSP awaits final approval. If greenlit, the program could start in late 2025, with the first cohort of students enrolling in Australian universities by Semester 1, 2026.

For more updates on the RSSP, stay tuned to Refugee Education Australia’s website as the program develops and moves closer to potentially reshaping educational opportunities for young refugees in Australia.