Welcome to the Circle…
Circle of Friends Australia is a grassroots movement of local community groups supporting asylum seekers and refugees — whether they are living in the community or being held in detention. All our members are volunteers from all walks of life, united by a shared belief that every new arrival to Australia deserves a genuine welcome and practical help in building a happy and successful life here.
We hold no particular political position. What we do hold is a conviction that we Australians are, at our best, a welcoming, generous and compassionate people — and that demonstrating those values in small, concrete ways can make an enormous difference to someone navigating an unfamiliar system far from home.
Join the Circle
If this sounds like something you’d like to be part of — as a volunteer, a donor, or just someone who simply wants to know more — you’re already in the right place. All you have to do if fill in our contact form and we will be in touch.
How it began
Circle of Friends Australia (COFA) began, as many good things do, around a large kitchen table. Back in 2002, a small group of South Australians — teachers, retirees, a lawyer, a few parents, all with very strong opinions and boundless energy — sat down together in Adelaide.
They were troubled by what they were reading in the papers. Undocumented asylum seekers were being arrested and locked behind wire. Families stuck in limbo. Children growing up in detention centres, waiting for immigration decisions that seemed never to come. For them, this was not what Australia stood for.
Our founding members set out to advocate for their release. When advocacy alone proved insufficient, we shifted focus — from changing policy to supporting people. Each local Circle took responsibility for deciding who it would support and how, and raised its own funds to do it. It was practical, personal and entirely volunteer-driven.
Those founding members came predominantly from human services, law, health, education, human rights and finance — but they acted independently of their professional roles, as neighbours and citizens. Over time, work colleagues, students, retirees, families and friends joined in. Welfare and church groups offered support in kind and in cash.
We called our groups Circles of Friends to represent the community friendship, practical help and human connection we offered.
Still Going
More than two decades on from that very first meeting, Circle of Friends Australia is still a volunteer-run, grassroots movement. No corporate headquarters. No paid staff.
While the number and focus of the Circles has varied over the years, we are still acitive and many of our founding members are still involved.
See more details about our active circles on Our Circles page.
Our Key Objectives
- To support asylum seekers and refugees in the community and in detention.
- To assist people and communities suffering in situations of conflict, displacement, disaster, discrimination and poverty.
- To organise educational activities to inform members and the public about issues relating to asylum seekers and refugees.
- To encourage the formation and growth of regional groups to support refugees and asylum seekers in their communities.
Our Core Principles
Circles and their members:
- Provide open, unconditional friendship.
- Work to enable, not to create dependency.
- Act with the knowledge and consent of those they assist.
- Foster open, transparent communication with lawyers, migration agents, other professionals and government officers.
Our Primary Work
We work alongside new arrivals to help them find their footing. That means:
- Meeting people and making connections within the local community.
- Learning about nearby services and organisations that can offer support — or where they themselves can contribute.
- Practising everyday English conversation.
- Understanding Australian customs, attitudes and ways of doing things.
- Making sense of government processes and requirements.
- Making the most of every opportunity for education.
Some Circles also assist those facing critical material or financial difficulty. Read more about our financial support services.
Governance
Circle of Friends Australia Inc. is registered with the Australian Taxation Office as a Public Benevolent Institution, and with the Australian Charities and Not-for-Profits Commission as a charity with tax-deductible receipting status for donations. Our ABN is 33 367 145 336.
Organisational accountability is maintained through a Management Committee operating in accordance with our Constitution, including an annual audited financial statement.
For more information, please contact us.