Refugee Student Settlement Pathway (RSSP) Pilot
Australia is trialling a new education-based resettlement pathway that empowers non-traditional actors in refugee protection, such as universities and campus-based volunteer groups (staff and students) to play an active role in the settlement of young refugees. It will allow refugees and humanitarian entrants to permanently resettle and continue their education at Australian universities.
To design the RSSP, the department undertook an extensive co-design process with Refugee Education Australia (REA), the Australian Refugee Welcome University Sponsorship Consortium (a consortium of 22+ Australian universities), Skill Path Australia, refugee student representatives and other higher education and NGO sector stakeholders.
Skill Path Australia is delivering the pilot in partnership with eight participating universities:
- Australian National University
- Curtin University
- Deakin University
- The University of Melbourne
- The University of Queensland
- The University of Sydney
- University of Technology Sydney
- Western Sydney University
The Refugee Student Settlement Pathway is the first education-focused resettlement pathway to be trialled in Australia, delivering on one of Australia’s key commitments at
the 2023 Global Refugee Forum. It will also test new complementary pathways providing durable resettlement opportunities for young refugees.
By removing barriers usually faced by refugees in accessing tertiary education pathways, the pilot will enhance the skills and qualifications of refugee students and support their economic and social integration in Australia.
The first year of the pilot is focused on the selection and resettlement of up to 20 refugee students aged between 18-30. Students must meet all criteria under the
Special Humanitarian Program stream of Australia’s Humanitarian Program to participate in the pilot. On arrival, university students and staff work together as Student Welcome Groups to help the refugee students settle in Australia and navigate their new home.
Through the pilot, Skill Path is facilitating university admission as well as training of Student Welcome Groups to provide settlement support for student refugees under the RSSP.
Any future intakes under the RSSP pilot will be iterative and shaped by learnings from the current intake.
More information
Skill Path is responsible for selecting students based on a range of education requirements and has proposed students currently located in the Asia region. Students must already be registered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). For more information on Skill Path’s selection criteria, please refer to their website:
Refugee Student Settlement Pathway — Skill Path.
