History
The Refugee & Immigration Legal Centre (RILC) is a product of a merger in 1998 between the Victorian office of the Refugee Advice and Casework Service (RACS) Australia Inc. and the Victorian Immigration Advice and Rights Centre (VIARC) Inc.. These organisations were founded in the late 1980’s amid a period of extensive immigration reform, to assist disadvantaged asylum seekers, refugees and migrants through significant new complexities introduced into the system.
Both organisations combined a heavy casework commitment to clients, with vigorous law reform, education and advocacy activities, with the core aim of promoting the administration and operation of Australia’s migration and program in a manner that was fair, just and humane. Both organisations frequently contributed to parliamentary and other public Inquiries, bringing unique insight, derived from their direct experience of advice and casework with disadvantaged applicants.
Both organisations were also involved in extensive community education. This included giving presentations to schools, ethnic community organisations, and other community groups on Australia’s migration and refugee programs. In 1993, VIARC taught its inaugural course to people seeking to become registered migration agents. This work was expanded into gazetted migration agents accreditation course, and Continuing Professional Development seminars and short ‘Immigration Maze’ courses that RILC offers today.
With a restructure of Commonwealth Government funding arrangements for immigration advice providers in 1997, an opportunity arose to merge the two organisations into the Refugee & Immigration Legal Centre Inc. As the organisation quickly expanded, new premises were found in Footscray, and then later in Fitzroy, RILC's current home. The successful amalgamation meant RILC combined the RACS expertise in work with asylum seekers and refugees, with the VIARC expertise in general migration matters.
RILC remains a leading provider in Australia of free legal services to disadvantaged asylum seekers, refugees and migrants, following in the strong tradition of both RACS and VIARC.
RILC maintains close relationships with an extensive network of other community services which support and assist asylum seekers, refugees and disadvantaged migrants. These include health, counselling, welfare, social work and family support. RILC remains one of Australia's leading casework service providers to disadvantaged asylum seekers and migrants in the spirit of both RACS and VIARC.
RILC is a member of the Federation of Community Legal Centres (Vic) Inc.
