A national program protecting the rights of migrant workers has uncovered millions in unpaid wages, threats of visa cancellation and modern slavery.
In NSW, $1.35 million in potential unpaid wage claims have been identified, while in Victoria, $236,000 has been recovered for migrant workers.
With the rise of popularity of One Nation with rural and regional Australians, what is the effect on refugees who have settled in regional areas? Do they feel welcomed and supported in their communities?
Our guest,Associate Professor Natascha Klocker, shares insights from her multi-year study "Settling Well investigates the impacts of refugee settlement in regional Australia".
Guest: Natascha Klocker, social geographer, study lead and Interim Head of School, Social Sciences at the University of Wollongong
Audio: Are refugees still welcome in regional Australia? Sunday Extra, ABC Radio National
Professor Daniel Ghezelbash, the Director of the Kaldor Centre for International Refugee Law at the University of New South Wales, says the law is not fair.
"I think it's important to point out that the government already had powers to cancel visas in circumstances where they thought people weren't genuine temporary entrance and intended to stay here. But importantly, that had to be done on an individual case by case basis, with an individual assessment of each case. And what this new law does, it allows the government to declare large cohorts, and it's very, very vague in terms of what those codes could be, was to be as broad as an entire nationality and suspend their visas without any individual assessment of that case. I don't think that is fair."
Professor Ghezelbash says the law and the new ban on Iranian visitor visa holders can sets a precedent in Australia's migration system.
"It brings just a level of arbitrariness in our decision making. And when someone goes through the process of applying for a visa, they pay their fees. They meet all the requirements of that visa. Often, they book in their travel, they pay for accommodation, they pay for their flights. And now this sends a signal that no none of that matters. At any moment the Australian Government can declare that you are unable to travel here, and I think that sets a precedent of arbitrariness and potential unfairness in our system."
Warnings about possible unintended consequences of Iran visitor ban. By Wing Kuang, SBS
….Indonesian police in the southernmost province of East Nusa Tenggara allege a growing number of attempts by Chinese nationals to organise boat journeys to Australia.
In mid 2025, the East Nusa Tenggara police revealed they arrested four Chinese nationals allegedly trying to reach Australia by boat in Kupang, the capital of East Nusa Tenggara.
Ferdos had mixed emotions when Australia granted Iran's soccer players asylum — relief at their safety but confused at her own visa application being in limbo for 14 years.
The 23-year-old Iranian refugee was sent to Nauru when she was 10, and spent five years in detention with her family before she was transferred to Australia in 2018 with her brother, when they were unwell.
She completed high school in Australia and works as an employment caseworker, but her own situation remains volatile.
Why can some people be granted humanitarian protection in a day while for others it can take more than a decade?
For many people in Australia, social cohesion has lost its feelgood vibe.
Now, the term provokes cynicism, confusion – even anger. Some hear social consensus or social conformity. No dissent allowed. It doesn’t yet come with an embedded action plan grounded in the distinctively Australian commitment to a fair go.
Despite several inquiries and overwhelming public support we still have no national human rights act that would level the playing field for everyone.
Iranians in Australia have criticised new laws that will let the government block the arrival of temporary visa holders from war-torn countries.
The federal government says the laws will protect the "integrity and sustainability" of Australia's immigration system.
Home Affairs officials have flagged that people in Iran with temporary visas for Australia are most likely to be affected by the changes.
Law making should be considered. Governments should not rush the process unless there is an immediate major threat to the community.
The problem with knee-jerk legal responses to a perceived ‘problem’ is that one, there is often shoddy drafting of the law, and two, governments sometimes ignore the advice of their bureaucrats and legal advisers and are running the gauntlet of the High Court.
I have heard political types say that if the High Court strikes down a contentious law then they can blame the court!
One upside however is that we have a robust court system. Executive and legislative excess can be challenged. The system worked this week.
The assistant minister for citizenship, Julian Hill, describes Australia’s humanitarian refugee program as "overwhelmed with impossible levels of global demand that Australia cannot meet".
"Even with the government’s decision to increase capacity over four years to 20,000 places annually, recognising the special commitment to Afghan refugees, the vast majority of applications are ultimately rejected."
'Sells false hope': MP scolds migration lawyers over humanitarian cases. By Anna Henderson, SBS News
In the remote NSW town of Broken Hill, Bells Milk Bar is stirring up history and a little nostalgia with every soda.
Its art deco memorabilia, vintage signage, and classic counter service whisk visitors back to another era, stretching to the late 1800s. For those who come through the door, it's a taste of history as much as a taste of fizzy cordial.
A strong case is emerging for Australia to do more to support decent Iranians who want to stay and contribute. This should be a holistic package which covers Iranian refugees who have been in limbo in Australia for up to 13 years, as well as those who either recently arrived or had planned to. Like the Abbott and Morrison decisions in 2015 and 2022, this support should be in addition to the standard humanitarian intake, and not come from within it.
The Herald urges the government and others in the debate to not confuse this issue with the broader tensions around Australia’s immigration levels.
Editorial SMH - Time for government to lift its game on Iranian refugees
Measures allowing the monitoring of people released from indefinite immigration detention are incompatible with the constitution, the High Court has ruled.
The man who brought the recent court challenge was convicted of murder in 2006, and after his release from jail, was subjected to the monitoring conditions, which his lawyers said were unconstitutional and "punitive".
The ABC understands 43 people who were being electronically monitored in the community will all now be transferred to mandatory reporting conditions, akin to those imposed under bail.
For many Iranian athletes, the most powerful opponent they face is not across the field. It is the regime that controls their lives.
To compete internationally, they must submit to a system that demands obedience, restricts their movement and punishes dissent.
Several members of the delegation, including captain Zahra Ghanbari, returned to Iran amid claims intense pressure was placed on their families. Such decisions should not be mistaken for free will. They are the byproduct of a system designed to make resistance almost impossible. What we are witnessing may be a cruel lose-lose scenario: the safety of an athlete traded for the wellbeing of a parent or sibling at home.
I hope with all my heart that I am wrong. But under this regime, punishment is not merely a possibility – it is often treated as a promise.
My name is Fatemeh Lahmidi and I’m an Iranian refugee who’s been living in limbo in Australia for the last 13 years.
When I heard that Australia had granted humanitarian visas to the Iranian women’s football team, I felt two very different emotions at once. I felt proud and happy for them because I know how difficult life can be for women in Iran. They deserve safety and protection.
But at the same time, the news broke my heart. Because while some Iranian women are offered protection, others like me are still waiting – despite the war that is now raging in our country.
I arrived in Australia in 2013 with my husband and our one-year-old son. We fled Iran because it was not safe for us. Like many others, we came to Australia believing it was a country that respected freedom, safety and fairness.
But the Australian government sent my family to Nauru under the offshore processing policy. That decision changed the course of our lives. We were later medically evacuated back to Australia along with hundreds of others who were suffering in Nauru, but still we were told we could not stay here permanently even though we were refugees.
I have built my life in Australia working in aged care and have raised my family here, but for 13 years our lives have been defined by waiting. Waiting for answers. Waiting for stability. Waiting to know whether we will ever be allowed to truly belong in the country we now call home.
My youngest son was born here. On his 10th birthday, he became an Australian citizen. He proudly calls himself an “Aussie”. Both my children go to school here. They play sport and have a close circle of friends. Their dreams and futures are in Australia.
I work as an aged care worker, caring for elderly Australians who need compassion and support. My husband works as a landscaper, helping create and maintain the spaces where people live and raise their families. We both work hard because we want to contribute to the community that has given us safety.
But we are trapped in permanent limbo. We live with constant uncertainty about the future, not knowing whether we will one day be ripped from our home. We must apply for a short-term bridging visa every few months. Processing delays and administrative barriers mean there are periods where we cannot work or access healthcare.
Every year in this limbo, I lose another part of myself.
I have not seen my parents or my siblings in Iran for 13 years. Without a permanent visa, if I leave Australia, I will not be able to come back. Just last week, the Albanese government passed new laws to make it even harder for my family to visit us in Australia. Now, even if they were granted a tourist visa, the government could decide to stop them from coming here simply because they are Iranian.
Since the war escalated in the Middle East, I have not been able to contact my family members in Iran. My sons keep asking me when they can finally meet their grandparents. I do not know what to tell them. ………………….
The Albanese government has hurried through new powers to block some temporary visa holders from travelling to Australia amid global crises.
The changes, which were passed on Thursday afternoon less than a week after they were drafted, have been described by the government as crucial to border management.
Let’s explain what is changing.
The Asylum Seekers Centre welcomed the asylum for the Iranian players, but stressed that it was just the beginning.
"This is a compassionate and practical step that recognises the serious risks many Iranian people face if they are forced to return to Iran," Asylum Seekers Centre CEO Elijah Buol OAM said in a statement.
"But this moment should be the start, not the end. It must shine a light on the many Iranian people seeking asylum already living in our community who remain in limbo, waiting for certainty and protection."
Buol said it was imperative to recognise that the danger was felt by all people seeking asylum.
Before offering refuge to Iranian players, Australia took in another team. By Arielle Richards, SBS
Donald Trump says the five female soccer players, who would likely have faced persecution if they returned to Iran, have been "taken care of" in their bid for asylum in Australia.
Fears had been growing they would be targeted by the Iranian regime, after they were labelled "traitors" on Iranian state TV for not singing the national anthem before a game.
The NSW anti-slavery commissioner has called for an urgent investigation into potential modern slavery offences regarding to the rest of the team, saying they are being coerced into returning to Iran.
According to the United Nations, Iran is host to one of the largest and most protracted refugee situations in the world and has provided asylum to refugees for over four decades. At the end of 2025, Iran was hosting over 2.5 million refugees and displaced people, primarily people from Afghanistan. The conflict will trigger significant new displacement, forcing Iranian citizens and refugees from the region residing in Iran facing further displacement and uncertainty, with some being displaced for the second or third time……
We understand that the Government has been working to find solutions for the thousands of Australian citizens and permanent residents who have registered to leave Iran and are unable to travel due to the flight restrictions.
The Refugee Council of Australia (RCOA) and our members are seeking the inclusion of refugees holding Humanitarian XB sub-class visas in evacuation plans. Based on recent trends, our understanding is that there would be several hundred refugees residing in Iran who have been granted a Humanitarian XB sub-class visa who have not yet been able to travel to Australia.
Letter to Ministers Burke and Wong on supporting refugees and Australians in Iran, RCOA
Despite record numbers of displaced people worldwide, resettlement options are facing a critical decline - global impacts including shrinking legal pathways, slashing of admission numbers and funding cuts to agencies. But for the first time, a new community-led initiative will support LGBTIQ+ refugees to apply for Australia’s humanitarian program - offering dedicated support for priority processing.
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