Legal resources for newly arrived migrants and refugees

This catalogue lists legal resources targeted at newly arrived migrants and refugees.

The catalogue includes the following information about these resources:

Name and publication date
Type of resource – the catalogue includes resources in written, audio and video formats
Topics covered
Languages in which the resource is available
The intended audience for the resource
The name of the agency / organisation that produced the resource
Links to websites where it is possible to download or access an electronic copy of the resource
Information about the stage in the settlement process when it may be appropriate to access the resource.

Accompanying the catalogue is a flowchart that maps the settlement process in Australia. This process can be divided into five stages:

Orientation prior to arrival
Orientation immediately following arrival (this is generally for a period of 6 – 12 months)
Programs and services to familiarise migrants and refugees with available services and provide for their needs following arrival.
Direct assistance – Programs and services to assist migrants and refugees to operate independently in Australian society and access mainstream services.
Integration – programs and services that build the capacity of newly arrived communities to participate in broader Australian Society
Settlement – this is generally considered to occur after five years from arrival

This catalogue is not a comprehensive list of all available resources that have been translated into languages other than English. The catalogue focuses on resources that are appropriate to newly arrived migrants and refugees.

Introduction to the legal system and legal services / multiple topics

The law and you: Legal Information for African Communities in NSW (2010) [NSW]

Format: DVD

Topics		Languages
Justice System Local Court Domestic Violence & AVO	Racism and Discrimination Victim Services Debt and money issues	Amharic Arabic Dinka Juba Arabic	Kiswahili Krio Somali

Audience: General

Produced by: NSW Department of Justice

Settlement stage: 2/3

Asian Orientation Information (2010) (Cth)

Format: Youtube

Topics

Languages

Welcome to Australia - a new home presents important settlement information for refugees coming to Australia from Asian countries under Australia's humanitarian program. This video provides an overview of how things work in Australia and the services available to newly arrived refugees.

African orientation information (2010) [Cth]

Format: Youtube

Topics

Languages

A series of short videos with orientation information including Australian law covering issues such as police, driving, road safety, public transport and legal aid.

Australian Citizenship : Our Common Bond (2020) [Cth]

Format: Guide / Test Resource Book

Languages:

Audience: General

Produced by: Department of Home Affairs

Contact DIBP on 13 18 80 to order copy of Book and DVD. See also Youtube - Our Common Bond.

Settlement stage: 4/5

Welcome to Legal Aid NSW - Factsheets and Resources

Format: MP3 – Audio / Fact sheet

Topics	Languages
Introduction to Legal Aid NSW services	Amharic Arabic English Dinka Dari Farsi	Juba Pushto Swahili Somali Tigrinya

Audience: General

Produced by: Legal Aid NSW

Settlement stage: 2

Need Legal Help?[NSW]

Format: Website

Topics	Languages
Introduction to services of LawAccess	English Arabic Bosnian Chinese (simplified) Chinese (traditional) Croatian Farsi Filipino	French Greek Hindi Italian Khmer Indonesian Korean Russian	Macedonian Serbian Spanish Portuguese Thai Turkish Vietnamese

Produced by: LawAccess NSW

Settlement stage: 2

What's the law? Australian law for new arrivals (2011) [Cth]

Format: DVD and workbook

Topics		Languages
Legal system Driving rules Car accidents Contracts Police	Tenancy Centrelink Child protection Family law Family violence	English

Audience: English Language students / General

Produced by: National Legal Aid

Settlement stage: 3

Law for community workers [NSW]

Legal Aid NSW runs a series of free workshops for community workers about the law

Care and protection
Discrimination
Domestic violence

Employment
Family law
Fines & WDOs

Immigration
Mental health
Money

Neighbours
Older people
Social security

Trafffic law
Wills & planning
Young people

Audience: settlement service or community workers

Format: workshops

Human rights

It's your right! (2009) [Cth]

Format: Workbook audio CD and DVD

Topics	Languages
ESL Teaching resource about human rights and responsibilities English language skills	English

Audience: Adult and secondary ESL students

Produced by: Australian Human Rights Commission

Settlement stage: 2/3

Being me knowing you (2010) [Cth]

Format: student workbook, teacher manual, student home book & parent guide

Topics	Languages
Curriculum package about human rights and discrimination	English Arabic

Audience: 11 – 15 year olds enrolled in community language schools

Produced by: Australian Human Rights Commission

Settlement stage: 2/3

Discrimination

Fact Sheets about anti discrimination law in NSW [NSW]

Format: Fact sheet

Topics	Languages
Information about discrimination law and the services of the Anti Discrimination Board of NSW	Arabic Chinese Croatian Farsi Filipino Greek Indonesian Italian	Khmer Korean Lao Malay Macedonian Polish Portuguese Russian	Samoan Serbian Spanish Swahili Thai Tongan Turkish Vietnamese

Audience: General

Produced by: Anti Discrimination Board NSW

Settlement stage: 2

The Complaints Guide [NSW]

Format: Guide

Topics	Languages
Introduction for people considering making or responding to a complaint before the AHRC	Arabic Bosnian Chinese Croatian English Farsi	French Greek Polish Indonesian Serbian	Somali Spanish Swahili Turkish Vietnamese

Audience: General

Produced by: Australian Human Rights Commission

Settlement stage: 3/4

Get to know your rights [Cth]

Format: Poster

Topics	Languages
Information about the AHRC	Various

Audience: General

Produced by: Australian Human Rights Commission

Settlement stage: 2

Consumer & Credit law

Moneysmart [Cth]

Format: Website

Topics
The Moneysmart website has publications about money related matters that are translated into in a range of languages
debts loans	superannuation savings

Settlement stage: 3/4

Fair Trading NSW [NSW]

Format: Website

Topics

The Fair Trading NSW website has publications about consumer related issues that are translated into a range of languages.

Settlement stage: 3/4

Financial Rights Legal Centre NSW – Fact Sheets [NSW]

Format: Fact Sheet

Topics		Languages
Loans Borrowing money Family breakdown and debt	Struggling with debt Dealing with debt collectors Refinancing	Arabic Bahasa Chinese Indonesian	Samoan Spanish Vietnamese

Produced by: Consumer Credit Law Centre

Settlement stage: 2/3

International Students Consumer Guide (2009) [NSW]

Format: Fact sheet

Topics

Languages

Consumer rights

shopping & refunds
mobile phones
buying a car
renting

education and training
gym memberships
travel and scams.

English
NB: Needs updating to tenancy and consumer laws.

Audience: International students Youth

Produced by: Fair Trading NSW

Settlement stage: 2/3

Talking money in today's language: Arabic Radio Kit (2006) [NSW]

Format: Radio kit with scripts and audio download off website

Topics		Languages
Credit cards Guaranteeing loans Interest free loans Mobile phones	Separation and Debt Debt recovery Bankruptcy Mortgage brokers	Arabic

Audience: General

Produced by: Consumer Credit Legal Centre

Settlement stage: 2/3

Are you being squeezed for a debt? [NSW]

Format: Webpage

Topics	Languages
Outlines what to do following receipt of a Letter of Demand Explains different options and the processes step by step.	English

Audience: General

Produced by: Legal Aid NSW

Tenancy and renting

New Tenant Checklist [NSW Fair Trading]

Format: Factsheet / checklist

Topics: Information for new tenants before they sign the lease

Languages: See NSW Fair Trading website home page (www.fairtrading.nsw.gov.au) and click on languages button to access translated resources available in various languages.

Audience: General

Produced by: Fair Trading NSW

Tenants NSW - Tenant Information [NSW]

Format: Website

Topics	Languages
Information about rights and responsibilities of tenants in NSW		Links on bottom of home page in nine (9) community languages

Audience: General

Produced by: Tenants NSW

Settlement stage: 2

Consumer and Renting Laws [NSW]

Format: Fact Sheet

Topics	Languages
Rights and responsibilities as consumers and tenants in NSW - note click on link at top of page to translated publications to find the topic/language required.	Arabic Chinese Traditional Farsi Indonesian	Korean Samoan Spanish	Tamil Tongan Vietnamese

Audience: General

Produced by: Fair Trading NSW

Settlement stage: 2/3

Driving and licences

Road Users and Driver Qualifications Handbooks [NSW] - Community Languages

NSW Roads and Martime Services Road User and Driver Qualifcation Handbooks - available to download from website in following languages (note: click on + next to headings to expand list and find community language versions):

English
Arabic
Chinese
Croatian
Greek
Korean
Japanese
Serbian
Spanish
Turkish
Vietnamese

Moving to NSW - Information for international drivers [NSW]

Format: Website

Topics	Languages
Drivers Licenses - Moving to NSW - note click on link at top of page to International Drivers and Riders to source information in English.	Arabic Indonesian Indian	Serbian Filipino

Audience: General

Produced by: Roads and Traffic Authority NSW (RTA)

Settlement stage: 2

Police

NSW Police [NSW]

Topics
The NSW police force website has a number of resources about domestic and family violence, criminal infringement notices (CINs), crimestoppers, SecureNSW and counter terrorism that are translated into different languages

Settlement stage: 2-4

Immigration and visas

IARC Fact Sheets [Cth]

Format: Fact sheets

Topics

Languages

Fact sheets on a range of topics including:

Visa applications
The review process
Domestic violence provisions
Many other helpful immigration law related issues.

Arabic
Chinese
Farsi

Audience: General

Produced by: Immigration Advice and Rights Centre

Settlement stage: 2/3

Migration Review Tribunal and Refugee Review Tribunal Fact Sheets [Cth]

Format: Fact sheets

Topics

Languages

Information about the MRT and RRT:

Tribunal procedure
Tribunal hearings
Tribunal decisions

Information for witnesses
Tribunal - general

English

Audience: General

Produced by: Migration Review Tribunal and Refugee Review Tribunal

Settlement stage: 3/4

Department of Home Affairs [Cth]

The Home Affairs website has information about visas, immigration and settling in to Australia including settlement service programs and learning English.

Settlement stage: 2-4

Your rights: tips on using a registered migration agent [Cth]

Format: Fact sheet

Topics	Languages
Information about the role of registered migration agents, how to make the most of an agent's service, options available if there are problems and the role of MARA as the regulatory authority.	Arabic Bengali Chinese Dari English Filipino	French Hindi Karen Korean Malay Nepali	Persian Portunguese Sinhalese Tamil Vietnamese

Audience: General

Produced by: Office of Migration Agents Registration Authority

Settlement stage: 2-4

Social security and Centrelink

Centrelink Information in Your Language for Community Organisations [Cth]

Centrelink provides on it's website translated publications by category and publication for community groups to help customers.

Format: PDF Factsheets

Settlement stage: 2/3

Centrelink information for Migrants, Refugees and Visitors [Cth]

Format: Audio CD

Topics		Languages
Centrelink payments and services Money to help you Help with expenses Help in your language	Personal assistance Your rights & obligations Learning English Education & Training	Arabic Assyrian Burmese Dari Dinka French	Karen Kirundi Persian Sudanese Arabic Swahili

Audience: General

Produced by:

Centrelink
02 8512 0946
multicultural.services.neat@centrelink.gov.au

Settlement stage: 2/3

Centrelink Information in Your Language [Cth]

Centrelink has a range of publications that are translated into different languages.
Centrelink also has multilingual call centres so that customers can speak to Centrelink in languages other than English

Settlement stage: 2/3

Domestic and family violence

Women's Legal Service Brochures in 10 Community Languages [NSW]

Format: Pamphlet

Topics
This is a pamphlet with information about Women’s Legal Service NSW including the types of matters WLS will provide legal advice on and telephone advice line contact numbers. The brochures are available in ten community languages: Arabic, Dari, Dinka, Farsi, Filipino (Tagalog), Hindi, Kirundi, Mandarin, Tamil and Vietnamese.

Audience: Women

Produced by: Women's Legal Service NSW

Settlement stage: 2

Radio plays about Domestic Violence (2010) and Forced Marriage (2015) [NSW]

Format: CD

Topics	Languages
Domestic violence and AVOs Family law provisions of Immigration legislation Staying Home Leaving Violence Forced Marriage	Arabic Dari Dinka Khmer Krio	Mandarin Somali Sudanese Vietnamese

Audience: Women

Produced by:

Immigrant Women's Speakout Association
02 9635 8022

Settlement stage: 2/3

Family peace [Cth]

Format: Teaching resource

Topics	Languages
Resource promoting awareness of family law and development of English skills	English

Audience: General

Produced by: Refugee and Immigration Legal Service

Settlement stage: 2/3

Community Services NSW [NSW]

Community Services NSW has a number of publications about domestic violence that are translated into different languages

Settlement stage: 3/4

NSW Police website [NSW]

The NSW police force website has a resource about domestic violence that is translated into different languages

Settlement stage: 3/4

So you want the violence to stop – advice about domestic violence and help at court (2011) [NSW]

Format: Pamphlet

Topics

Languages

This brochure outlines :

How the Women's Domestic Violence Court Advocacy Service assists women to apply for an Apprehended Domestic Violence Orders
How women can stop the cycle of abuse

Arabic
Chinese (Traditional)
Chinese (Simplified)
Dari / Farsi

Indonesian
Korean
Spanish
Tagalog
Thai
Vietnamese

Produced by: Legal Aid NSW

Settlement stage: 2/3

Legal Aid NSW Domestic Violence Resources (2017) [NSW]

Format: Fact sheets

Topics

Languages

Fact Sheets cover:

Are you experiencing domestic violence?
Are you experiencing violence or abuse? You can make it stop.
Domestic violence offences – information for defendants
Is someone asking the court to make an AVO against you? Information for defendants.
Are you applying for an Apprehended Violence Orders (AVO)? Information for people needing protection.
So you want the violence to stop - advice about domestic violence and help at court.