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The Australian Cultural Orientation Program (AUSCO) prepares refugees and other humanitarian program entrants (people who suffer substantial discrimination amounting to gross violation of their human rights in their home country and therefore are living outside of it) for initial settlement in Australia. The course covers many themes, including the actual journey by air, on-arrival assistance, practical information on post-arrival settlement services and managing cultural, social and economic expectations.

AUSCO further includes: 

  • Sessions on travel requirements, including customs and immigration processes 
  • What to expect on-arrival to Australia by way of initial assistance 
  • Introduction to the Australian lifestyle, social and cultural norms 
  • Life skills training (dealing with accommodation, transport, banks, health and other day-to-day matters) 
  • Understanding Australian values around law and order, gender equality, rights and responsibilities 
  • Freedoms protected by law (religion, expression, assembly, non-discrimination). 

Activities: 

  • AUSCO trainers apply a variety of teaching methods, including role plays, discussions, problem solving activities, and case studies. 
  • Course content is supplemented by Standard and Easy Read AUSCO Student Folders and an Activity Booklet to reflect upon and record participants settlement journey, plus the AUSCO DVD ‘An Australian Settlement Journey’. 
Benefits

Cultural Orientation assists in preparing refugees and other humanitarian program entrants for life in the country of resettlement by: 

  • allaying any fears they may have about the country they are going to through correct information. 
  • giving them greater confidence through the basic skills they acquire to deal with the initial stages of their settlement in their new home country. 
  • facilitating their integration through enhanced understanding of the new environment and how to deal with it. 
Project Description

The Australian Cultural Orientation (AUSCO) Program is funded by the Australian Government Department of Home Affairs and has been facilitated under contract by IOM in training sites located in 16 permanent and more than 60 mobile delivery countries across primarily five regions, namely: Sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, Southeast Asia, Central and South America, and the Middle East and North Africa, where Australia-bound refugees and humanitarian program entrants are located.  

AUSCO prepares beneficiaries for life in Australia. It is delivered in a variety of settings around the world including refugee camps and urban centers by fully trained personnel with a sound understanding of Australia.  

Sessions are led by trainers in the language of the participants and a qualified interpreter, if required. They are interactive and dynamic and a variety of teaching resources including audio-visuals are used. Methodologies are learner-centered and vary according to the profile of the groups being trained.  

AUSCO has a curriculum covering relevant integration topics and courses are held for adults, pre-literates, youth, and children.  

The program began as a pilot project in 2003 and, since its inception, has assisted more than 147,374 clients by the end of 2024. 

In partnership with the Australian Government Department of Home Affairs, IOM has been involved in improvements to teaching materials and upskilling of trainers, including online workshops with Settlement Service Providers in Australia.  

Beneficiaries
  • Refugees
  • Humanitarian program entrants

 

Regions
Office type
Afghanistan
Albania
Algeria
Angola
Antigua and Barbuda
Argentina
Armenia
Aruba
Asia and the Pacific
Australia
Austria
Azerbaijan
Bahamas (The)
Bahrain
Bangladesh
Barbados
Belarus
Belgium
Belize
Benin
Bhutan
Bolivia (Plurinational State of)
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Botswana
Brazil
Bulgaria
Burkina Faso
Burundi
Cabo Verde
Cambodia
Cameroon
Canada
Central African Republic (the)
Chad
Chile
China
Colombia
Comoros (the)
Congo (the)
Costa Rica
Côte d'Ivoire
Croatia
Cuba
Cyprus
Czechia
Democratic Republic of the Congo (the)
Denmark
Djibouti
Dominica
Dominican Republic (the)
East and Horn of Africa
Ecuador
Egypt
El Salvador
Eritrea
Estonia
Eswatini
Ethiopia
Europe and Central Asia
Fiji
Finland
France
Gabon
Gambia (the)
Georgia
Germany
Ghana
Global Office in Brussels
Global Office in Washington
Greece
Guatemala
Guinea
Guinea-Bissau
Guyana
Haiti
Honduras
Hungary
Iceland
India
Indonesia
IOM Office at the United Nations
Iran (Islamic Republic of)
Iraq
Ireland
Italy
Jamaica
Japan
Jordan
Kazakhstan
Kenya
Kuwait
Kyrgyzstan
Lao People's Democratic Republic (the)
Latin America and the Caribbean
Latvia
Lebanon
Lesotho
Liberia
Libya
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Madagascar
Malawi
Malaysia
Maldives
Mali
Malta
Manila Administrative Centre
Marshall Islands (the)
Mauritania
Mauritius
Mexico
Micronesia (Federated States of)
Middle East and North Africa
Mongolia
Montenegro
Morocco
Mozambique
Myanmar
Namibia
Nepal
Netherlands (Kingdom of the)
New Zealand
Niger (the)
Nigeria
North Macedonia
Norway
Pakistan
Palau
Panama
Panama Administrative Centre
Papua New Guinea
Paraguay
Peru
Philippines (the)
Poland
Portugal
Qatar
Republic of Korea
Republic of Moldova (the)
Romania
Russian Federation (the)
Rwanda
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Samoa
Sao Tome and Principe
Senegal
Serbia
Seychelles
Sierra Leone
Slovakia
Slovenia
Solomon Islands
Somalia
South Africa
South Sudan
Spain
Sri Lanka
Subregional Office in Brussels
Subregional Office in Pretoria
Sudan (the)
Sweden
Switzerland
Syrian Arab Republic (the)
Tajikistan
Thailand
Timor-Leste
Togo
Tonga
Trinidad and Tobago
Tunisia
Türkiye
Turkmenistan
Tuvalu
Uganda
Ukraine
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (the)
United Republic of Tanzania (the)
UNSC Resolution 1244-Administered Kosovo
Uruguay
Uzbekistan
Vanuatu
Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of)
Viet Nam
West and Central Africa
Yemen
Zambia
Zimbabwe