It’s now been two years since the first refugee households arrived in Australia under the CRISP (Community Refugee Integration and Settlement Pilot). Almost 500 refugees from 125 households have been welcomed to Australia.
The anniversary was celebrated at a special event in Parliament House, Canberra. Speakers included the new Assistant Minister for Immigration, Matt Thistlethwaite MP, as well as Dan Tehan MP, Senator David Shoebridge, Zoe Daniel MP and Allegra Spender MP.
Other attendees included civil society leaders, other federal politicians from across the political spectrum, and government officials.
As well as celebrating the success of the program, the Canberra event was an opportunity to advance advocacy to ensure that the CRISP becomes a permanent program and one that is structurally additional to Australia’s humanitarian intake. Canberra is hearing this loud and clear, with several of the Parliamentarians in attendance expressing strong support for these goals.
The national and global reach of the CRISP has seen households from 15 different countries welcomed into cities and regional areas in all Australian states and territories, with the first arrival into the Northern Territory due within weeks.
Some of the data collected on outcomes under CRISP are included in the graphic above.