Welcoming refugee students across Australia
Abby, Melbourne student who has been involved in refugee welcome groups with Community Refugee Sponsorship Australia
Skill Path and Community Refugee Sponsorship Australia are joining forces to mobilise Student Welcome Groups across the country to welcome students arriving through the Refugee Student Settlement Pathway (RSSP).
Twenty refugee students are about to start their university journey in Australia, and Student Welcome Groups can help them thrive! After years of uncertainty, they're ready to rebuild their futures but need local community connections to feel at home.
The RSSP is a first-of-its-kind initiative that enables refugee students living in displacement in Malaysia, India and Thailand to pursue tertiary education and build new lives in Australia. Students will arrive in Australia on permanent humanitarian visas and begin studies at leading Australian universities in early 2026.
This pilot program is led by Skill Path Australia in partnership with CRSA, Refugee Education Australia, and a growing national consortium of universities. It is designed to provide eligible refugees with a chance to settle in Australia (ie a ‘durable solution’ to their displacement), an educational opportunity and also to ensure that students are welcomed and supported as they settle into life in Australia.
What are Student Welcome Groups?
Each participating university will host a Student Welcome Group made up of individuals volunteering their time who are committed to providing a warm and supportive environment for incoming students. Groups will include local community members, university students, and staff who can assist with everything from meeting students at the airport on arrival in Australia, through to navigating public transport, understanding university systems, and making social connections. Groups will operate as independent, self-directed teams within the parameters of the program, supported by Skill Path and CRSA.
Sally Baker, Director of University Partnerships at Skill Path Australia highlights the importance of providing welcome for new university students:
Enrolling in university is a great first step, but without support, access doesn't always translate into opportunity. Student Welcome Groups can provide the peer-to-peer support and friendship that RSSP and many other refugee and migrant students tell us they want and need. We hope this model for welcome will give all students an opportunity to get involved in supporting more refugees to resettle and thrive in Australia.
These groups are a vital part of the RSSP success. For students who have spent years in limbo without a durable solution, this program offers not only a chance to study and rebuild their futures but also to feel a genuine sense of belonging from the moment they arrive.
From empathy to action: Why get involved?
Abby and other group members welcoming refugee newcomers at Melbourne airport.
Joining a Student Welcome Group is a chance to make a meaningful, personal contribution to the life of a refugee student. It’s an opportunity to build cross-cultural friendships, develop your skills, and be part of something bigger: a community-led movement to support inclusive education and resettlement pathways.
The Student Welcome Groups are part of a growing movement in Australia to support community sponsorship of refugees. CRSA brings deep experience in training and coordinating community support groups, having delivered the successful Community Refugee Integration and Settlement Pilot (CRISP) across Australia. Through this partnership, Skill Path and CRSA will ensure that every Student Welcome Group receives tailored training, resources and support to help them feel confident and prepared.
Australian student Abby Hood has worked with Community Refugee Sponsorship Australia to welcome refugees to Australia through this model. According to Abby:
Often we feel powerless to have any sort of impact in the face of the forced migration crisis and growing numbers of displaced people. This program has helped us to move from simply caring and talking - and has allowed us to be meaningfully involved in the lives of refugee newcomers. If you’re keen to turn caring into doing, this is the most transformative and challenging and rewarding things I’ve ever done.
Who can join?
Student Welcome Groups are currently being mobilised at campuses across Melbourne, Geelong, Brisbane, Sydney, Canberra and Perth.
Eligible individuals must be based in Australia and be prepared to commit to participating in a Student Welcome Group for 12 months once the student arrives in Australia (ie January 2026 to January 2027). University students, staff, alumni, and campus communities affiliated with the following universities are welcome to apply to join a Group:
Australian National University - Acton, Canberra in the ACT
Deakin University - Geelong, Victoria
The University of Melbourne - Parkville, Melbourne, Victoria
The University of Queensland - St Lucia, Brisbane, Queensland
The University of Sydney - Camperdown, Sydney, NSW
University of Technology Sydney - Ultimo, Sydney, NSW
Western Sydney University - campus TBC, Sydney
More campus locations to be announced soon.
Support and training provided
Group members do not need prior experience to get involved, just need a genuine willingness to be part of a team supporting refugee students to thrive in the Australian community. Group members will be provided with training and support to prepare for this role by.
Lisa Button is the CEO of CRSA, which will be tasked with providing initial training and ongoing educational information and peer learning opportunities to Student Welcome Groups:
We have a wealth of experience in training everyday Australians to become an effective source of support to refugee newcomers. The key tools you need are curiosity, compassion and open-mindedness. Those who join will become part of an active network of more than 1,000 Australians involved in welcoming refugee newcomers through the RSSP and similar community sponsorship programs, with access to CRSA’s online Community Hub and regular peer forums.
Find out more
🌐 Find out more about Student Welcome Groups here
🗓️ Register to attend an info session to hear more and have your questions answered. Sessions will be held online on the following dates:
Wednesday, 30 July⋅1:00 – 2:00pm AEST
Thursday, 31 July⋅8:00 – 9:00pm AEST
Tuesday, 5 August⋅5:00 – 6:00pm AEST
📨 If you are interested, apply to Skill Path to join a group.
About Community Refugee Sponsorship Australia (CRSA)
CRSA is an independent non profit organisation that aims to expand and improve refugee settlement in Australia by harnessing the generosity, goodwill and social capital of everyday Australians. In addition to its work in developing/expanding pathways for refugees, CRSA currently partners with the Commonwealth government in delivering the Community Refugee Settlement and Integration Pilot (CRISP) all around Australia, which has seen more than 1,000 Australians welcome almost 700 refugee newcomers. CRSA is partnering with Skill Path Australia to deliver training to Student Welcome Groups involved in the RSSP.
