Australia has welcomed refugees and helped them to settle since colonial times. As Australia confirmed its place in world affairs after the Second World War it accepted thousands of people who were escaping the ruined cities and social upheaval caused by the war. After the fall of Saigon thousands of Vietnamese refugees came to Australia and the current unrest in the Middle East has resulted in many more people seeking a safe sanctuary.

Find out about Australia's responses to people arriving as refugees from colonial times up until the present. Read about the contributions refugees have made to Australia and the challenges they have faced.

ABOUT THE MIGRATION TO AUSTRALIA SERIES
Australia is a country built on migration. People have been seeking a new life in Australia's cities and country regions from the colonial era up until the present. This series explains why they chose Australia as their destination what the international conditions were that caused them to leave their homelands and how thousands of migrants have contributed to making Australia the nation it is today.