Our history

Driven by the desire to improve refugee resettlement in Australia, the Community Refugee Sponsorship Initiative (CRSI) was created. In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, CRSI launched a pilot Group Mentorship Program (GMP) for refugees already in Australia. The GMP tested and demonstrated the viability of the community sponsorship approach in Australia. As part of this, we developed many of the tools and processes that will be required for a successful sponsorship program and mobilised support for hundreds of refugee newcomers including many Afghan evacuees after the Taliban takeover in August 2021.

Launched as a joint initiative by a group of leading Australian charities and nonprofits, Community Refugee Sponsorship Australia (CRSA) was established in 2021 as an independent charity to continue working with government and community representatives to take over the work of CRSI. In 2022 we were appointed by the federal government to co-design and deliver Australia’s new groundbreaking ‘Community Refugee Integration and Settlement Pilot’ (CRISP). CRSA aims to play a leading role in encouraging, developing, and supporting the implementation of a community-led refugee support program in Australia.