Building a New Life in Australia

The Longitudinal Study of Humanitarian Migrants

About the study

Australia has a long tradition of welcoming humanitarian migrants. Forced to leave their homes and country, many have suffered significant trauma and are unfamiliar with the language and culture of Australia. Understanding how humanitarian migrants settle into Australia is critical to the development of effective policy and program responses.


Visit the Building a New Life in Australia website.


Some facts about the Building a New Life in Australia study:

  • Close to 2,400 individuals and families are taking part.
  • The majority live in Melbourne and Sydney; a small proportion live in regional or rural areas.
  • Participants come from 35 countries and are aged from 16 to 80+.
  • Almost all arrived in Australia in 2013, and experienced trauma and persecution before their arrival.
  • Information being collected for the study includes: housing, language proficiency, education, employment and income, health and life satisfaction.

For more information about the study, visit bnla.aifs.gov.au.

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