Our Aims

CRAG advocates for refugee policies which:

• Are aligned with the UN Refugee Convention
• Are developed in partnership with our regional neighbours
• Ensure the safety and wellbeing of people seeking asylum
• Do not discriminate against, or impose penalties on, people who arrive without authorisation seeking refugee protection 

CRAG works to uphold the following principles:

• Arbitrary, indefinite, punitive or offshore immigration detention is unacceptable. 
• Boat turn backs do not allow time for fair, adequate and transparent assessment of asylum claims. People travelling to Australia by boat must never be turned back to source countries.
• All asylum claims must be heard in a timely manner, with justice, compassion and a trauma-informed approach.
• People seeking asylum living in the community must be granted work rights and access to an income support safety net while their claims for asylum are being assessed or reviewed.  
• An accessible, thorough and fair review process must be available to people whose applications for asylum are refused. 
• People found to be refugees under the UN Refugee Convention, must be provided with permanent resettlement in Australia, and timely access to family reunion, regardless of their mode of arrival.
• Australia’s annual intake of refugees must be expanded, with refugee resettlement expedited for refugees waiting in Indonesia and other transit countries in our region.
• Politicians must refrain from harsh rhetoric, vilification and misinformation regarding people seeking asylum. 
• Operations and associated public information regarding people seeking asylum must be transparent and truthful. 
• People seeking asylum must not be pressured to sign documents to return to their home countries when they have a genuine fear of persecution and harm.
• Mechanisms other than indefinite detention must be provided in any cases where adverse security assessments apply.

You can contribute in many ways, from donations to our legal support fund to donations of food and items to support local refugees.