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

Beginning a Life in Australia (2010) [Cth]

Format: Booklet / Guide

Topics

Languages

Settlement information including about:

Criminal offences
Driving
Drugs, smoking & drinking
Legal Aid
Housing
Money
Social security

Albanian
Amharic
Arabic
Bosnian
Burmese
Chinese
Croatian
Dari
Dinka
English

French
German
Greek
Hindi
Italian
Indonesian
Japanese
Karen
Khmer
Kirundi

Korean
Macedonian
Nepali
Persian
Portuguese
Russian
Serbian
Sinhalese
Somali

Spanish
Swahili
Tagalog
Tamil
Tigrinya
Thai
Turkish
Vietnamese

Audience: General

Produced By: Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC)

Settlement stage: 1

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	Kiswahili Krio Somali

Audience: General

Produced by: NSW Department of Justice and Attorney General (DJAG)

Settlement stage: 2/3

Australia – A New Home – Settlement Information for Newly Arrived Asian Refugees (2010) [Cth]

Format: Youtube / DVD

Topics

Languages

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

DVD translated into Asian languages:

Burmese
Karen
Nepali
Chin (Haka)
Rohingya
English

Audience: General

Produced by:

DIAC
Contact DIAC for a copy
of the DVD: 131 881

Settlement stage: 2/3

Australia – A New Home – Settlement Information for Newly Arrived African Refugees (2010) [Cth]

Format: Youtube / DVD

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.

DVD translated into African languages:

Amharic
Arabic
Dinka
Kirundi
Swahili
Sudanese
Tigrinya

Audience: General

Produced by:

DIAC
Contact DIAC for a copy
of the DVD: 131 881

Settlement stage: 2/3

Australian Citizenship : Our Common Bond (2009) [Cth]

Format: Guide / Test Resource Book

Languages:

Audience: General

Produced by: DIAC

Settlement stage: 4/5

Welcome to Legal Aid NSW (2011) [NSW]

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? (2009) [NSW]

Format: Brochure

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

Need Legal Help? [NSW]

Format: Poster

Topics	Languages
Introduction to services of LawAccess	English Amharic Arabic Assyrian Burmese Chin	Chinese (Simplified) Dari Dinka Farsi Karen	Kirundi Krio Tamil Nepalese Swahili

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

Legal Aid NSW catalogue (2012) [NSW]

Format: Catalogue

Languages:

Legal Aid NSW have a number of publications that are translated into different community languages.

Audience: General

Produced by: Legal Aid NSW

Settlement stage: 2/3

Do you have a legal problem? (2010) [NSW]

Format: Brochure

Topics	Languages
Introduction to Legal Aid NSW services	Arabic Bengali Burmese Chinese Croatian Greek	Hindi Indonesian Italian Khmer Korean Laotian	Macedonian Serbian Spanish Tamil Turkish Vietnamese

Audience: General

Produced by: Legal Aid NSW

Settlement stage: 2/3

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

Under the law (2010) [NSW]

Format: DVD

Topics	Languages
Traffic offences Domestic Violence Crime reporting Youth and the law	English Arabic Dinka Swahili

Audience: General Youth

Produced by:

Fairfield City Council
02 9725 9222

Settlement stage: 2/3

Your rights (2009) [NSW]

Format: Audio segment for radio

Topics	Languages
Legal rights & responsibilities The justice system, Legal services	Arabic Cantonese English Greek Italian	Mandarin Spanish Samoan Vietnamese

Audience: General

Produced by: Community Broadcasting Association of Australia

Settlement stage: 2/3

One step at a time [Cth]

Format: Comic book

Topics	Languages
Issues faced by young migrants and refugees in relation to settlement.	English

Audience: Youth

Produced by: Inception Strategies

Settlement stage: 1

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

The Commission Brochure [NSW]

Format: Guide

Topics	Languages
Overview of the Commission's role, function and legislation plus contact details.	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

Say No to discrimination [NSW]

Format: Brochure/ Poster

Languages
Arabic Chinese Croatian Dari Greek	Italian Khmer Korean Macedonian Portuguese	Spanish Serbian Turkish Vietnamese

Audience: General

Produced by: Anti Discrimination Board of NSW (ADB)

Settlement stage: 2/3

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

Making sense of money (2008) [Vic]

NB: Victorian based
Needs to be updated to reflect new consumer laws.

Format: DVD

Topics

Languages

Consumer awareness

Basic banking
Budgeting
Managing bills
Credit & loans

Dinka
English
Sudanese
Arabic

Audience: General

Produced by:

Maribyrnong City Council
03 9688 0200

Settlement stage: 2/3

Consumer information in your language (2008) [Cth]

Format: Pamphlet

Topics	Languages
Information about services of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC)	Arabic Croatian Dinka English Greek Italian	Japanese Khmer Korean Macedonian Persian	Serbian Spanish Chinese Turkish Vietnamese

Audience: General

Produced by: ACCC

Settlement stage: 2

Consumer Credit Legal Centre NSW – Multilingual 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

Home Insurance Matters! [Cth]

Format: Guide

Topics:

Topics

Languages

Information about making a claim for:

Home building insurance
Contents insurance

Arabic
Chinese
Vietnamese

Audience: General

Produced by: Insurance Law Service (Consumer Credit Law Centre)

Settlement stage: 3/4

Consumer guide for international students (January 2010) [NSW]

Format: Guide

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: 3/4

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: Brochure

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 (2011) [NSW]

Format: Factsheet / checklist

Topics: Information for new tenants before they sign the lease

Languages

Arabic	Assyrian	Chinese	Dari
Dinka	Farsi	Indonesian	Korean
Spanish	Tamil	Thai	Vietnamese

Audience: General,

Produced by: Fair Trading NSW

Changes to tenancy laws: what you need to know (2010) [NSW]

Format: Audio on website

Topics	Languages
Outlines changes to tenancy laws effective from 31.1.11	Arabic Burmese Dari Dinka	Kirundi Korean Mandarin	Somali Swahili Tetum

Audience: General

Produced by: Fair Trading NSW

Settlement stage: 2/3

Your rights as a tenant in NSW (2011) [NSW]

Format: Fact sheet

Topics	Languages
Introduction to the rights and responsibilities of tenants in NSW	Arabic Chinese Farsi	Korean Spanish Vietnamese

Audience: General

Produced by: Tenants Union NSW

Settlement stage: 2

Tenancy check (2008) [NSW]

Format: DVD

Topics	Languages
Renting a property NB: Requires updating about changes to tenancy laws effective from 31.1.11.	Arabic Juba Dinka	Kirundi Swahili

Audience: General

Produced by:

Fairfield Migrant Resource Centre
02 727 4277

Settlement stage: 2/3

Renting Laws (2010) [NSW]

Format: Fact Sheet

Topics	Languages
Rights and responsibilities as tenants and overview of recent changes to tenancy laws	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

Guide for international drivers (2010) [NSW]

Format: Pamphlet

Topics	Languages
Drivers Licenses	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 violence, criminal infringement notices (CINs), crimestoppers and security and 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 (2005) [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 Immigration and Citzenship (DIAC) [Cth]

The DIAC website has information about visas, immigration and settling in to Australia including settlement service programs and learning English.
DIAC also publishes resources about people smuggling titled ‘People smuggling: Don't risk it”. The resources include pamphlets, and a DVD. The resources are translated into Arabic, Dari, Farsi, Pashto, Tamil and Sinhalese. Contact DIAC 131 881 for copies of the resources.

Settlement stage: 2-4

Your rights: tips on using a registered migration agent (2011) [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

Fact sheets – If you have recently moved to Australia to settle [Cth]

Format: Fact sheets

Topics

Languages

Fact sheets on a range of topics including:

Crisis payment for humanitarian entrants
Newly arrived resident's waiting period

Urgent payments
Intent to Claim

English

Audience: General

Produced by: Centrelink

Settlement stage: 2/3

Centrelink information for new Australians [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

Looking for work? (2010) [Cth]

Format: CD/ DVD

Topics	Languages
Payments and services Centrelink offers while looking for work	Amharic Assyrian Dinka, Dari English French Karen Kirundi	Pushto Sudanese Arabic Oromo Kiswahili Nuer Somali Hakha –Chin Swahili Tigrinya

Audience: General

Produced by:

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

Settlement stage: 2/3

Centrelink [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

Welfare Rights Fact Sheets (2010) [Cth]

Format: Fact sheets

Topics

Languages

Fact sheets on a range of topics including:

Appeals – how to appeal against a Centrelink decision
Debts – what to do if you have a social security debt
Member of a couple or single.

Arabic
Mandarin
Vietnamese

Audience: General

Produced by: Welfare Rights Centre

Settlement stage: 2/3

Domestic and family violence

WLS Pictorial Pamphlet [NSW]

Format: Pamphlet

Topics
Wordless pamphlet with information about the services of WLS NSW

Audience: Women

Produced by: Women's Legal Services NSW

Settlement stage: 2

Domestic / Family Violence & Australian Immigration Law (2009) [Cth]

Format: Guide

Topics	Languages
How the domestic violence provisions of Australian immigration law operate.	Arabic Bosnian Chinese Croatian English Farsi French	Hindi Indonesian Bahasa Korean Russian Serbian Spanish	Tagalog Tamil Thai Urdu Turkish Vietnamese

Audience: Women experiencing domestic violence

Produced by:

Immigration Advice and Rights Centre
02 9279 4300

Settlement stage: 2/3

Radio plays about DV (2010) [NSW]

Format: CD

Topics	Languages
Domestic violence and AVOs Family law provisions of Immigration legislation Staying Home Leaving Violence	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 Program assists women to apply for an Apprehended Domestic Violence Orders
How women can stop the cycle of abuse