Thank you for your support in 2025

Tuesday, December 23 2025

I would like to take this moment to celebrate a significant achievement in our nation’s life. Last month, Australia granted its one-millionth refugee visa since the end of the Second World War. This achievement is one of the golden threads of modern Australian history. As a nation, we are immeasurably richer, more vibrant and, ultimately, stronger because of our refugee resettlement program. It is central to who we are and who we will be. Not just in social and cultural terms, but also economically. In truth, it is a fundamental part of the life and fabric of our nation.

Amidst the current global turbulence and upheaval, it is crucial that we mark and embrace this milestone. Our refugee intake is a driving force for our future, enabling us to respond to people in need with empathy.

With your support, this is the work we do at Refugee Legal. Thanks to your support and generosity, Refugee Legal has provided unprecedented levels of legal assistance to thousands of vulnerable people in predicaments that could hardly matter more: seeking protection from persecution, safety from family violence, freedom from detention and reuniting with family.

Your support has also been crucial in enabling us to have a significant systemic impact, whether through strategic litigation preventing individuals from being removed to Nauru, advocating against family violence, processing protection visa backlogs, responding to global crises such as the conflicts in Ukraine, Afghanistan, Israel-Gaza and Myanmar, addressing issues in immigration detention or collaborating with the global legal community to enhance legal assistance for forcibly displaced persons.

Because of your generosity, we have changed the course of so many people’s lives immeasurably for the better – giving them hope and a chance to build a better life in safety and with dignity.

But real change does not happen on its own. Let’s work together in 2026 to help create the kind of society and world we want to live in, dream of and defend.

We extend our heartfelt thanks to all of you who have donated to our End of Year Appeal. If you haven’t yet made a donation, there is still time to give a gift that will help change lives.

 

With thanks and very best wishes for the festive season,

David Manne
Refugee Legal
CEO & Principal Solicitor