Welcome to Refugee Week 2025. This week we celebrate the important role that people from refugee backgrounds play in our community.
NSW has a proud history of welcoming and settling people from refugee and refugee-like backgrounds. Since 2015, more than 40,000 refugees and people seeking asylum have permanently settled in NSW.
This year’s theme is ‘Finding Freedom: Diversity in Community’. For people escaping persecution, community can be a lifeline as they rebuild their lives in Australia. And we all play a role in fostering inclusive communities that warmly welcome people seeking refuge.
For me, it’s a real privilege to learn from colleagues here at Multicultural NSW and in our partner organisations, who draw on their experiences of finding safety in Australia to better serve our community. One of these stories is shared below from our Deputy CEO, James Jegasothy.
I am also proud of our work on the NSW Settlement Strategy. Multicultural NSW developed this in 2023, bringing together every NSW Government department and agency with a commitment to make settling in our state a positive experience for around 5,000 refugees who arrive here each year. The strategy also supports the people from refugee-like backgrounds who live here, including those seeking asylum.
You can read more about the Settlement Strategy in the full newsletter.
Joseph La Posta
CEO
