Refugee Advice & Casework Service

RACS stands beside refugees and people seeking asylum to ensure fair and equal access to justice. We provide free legal services to those forced to flee their homes due to persecution. Our dedicated lawyers help people tell their stories, gather evidence, and navigate complex, often traumatising legal processes.

From refugee women escaping violence to stateless children, LGBTIQIA+ people seeking safety, and families torn apart, RACS ensures every person is treated with dignity before the law, because justice and safety should never depend on where you were born.

Applying for protection in Australia is an extremely complex legal process. For people whose first language is not English, navigating this system alone can be overwhelming and deeply traumatic. RACS lawyers apply specialised, trauma-informed legal expertise and understanding of global social and political contexts to help clients present their claims clearly, gather vital evidence, and ensure fair interpretation throughout lengthy interviews.

In FY26, RACS provided legal advice & services to 4,849 refugees and people seeking asylum. They came from 130 countries and spoke 126 languages. This included:

• 357 women at risk of domestic, sexual or gender-based violence needing protection 
• 346 refugees in Australia seeking to reunite with 637 family members still living separately overseas 
• 309 LGBTQI+ people seeking safety 
• 87 stateless children and 11 parents of stateless children 
• 1,424 people received immediate legal support at our weekly community outreach service

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