Increasing Australia’s refugee intake could benefit the Australian economy by $37.7 billion in today’s dollars over the next 50 years, according to new research.

The research, by Deloitte Access Economics, says raising the humanitarian intake from 18,750 now to 44,000 by 2022/23 will increase overall GDP, demand in Australia for goods and services, and the number of jobs.

The move would also mean that, on average, Gross Domestic Product (GDP) could be $4.9 billion greater annually between 2018-19 and 2067-68, the research says.

And it would sustain, on average, an additional 35,000 full time equivalent jobs in the Australian economy every year for the next 50 years as well as increasing demand for Australian goods and services by $18.2 billion in today’s dollars.

The figures are part of a report by NGO Oxfam that calls on the federal government to make it easier for refugees and humanitarian migrants in Australia to reunite with their families.

The report ‘Stronger Together: The impact of family separation on refugees and humanitarian migrants in Australia’, says that that not only could Australia do the right thing by people seeking refuge, but in the long run it would also benefit the Australian economy.

Meanwhile, new research conducted by Monash University concludes that keeping families together is the key to successful resettlement of refugees and humanitarian migrants in Australia, in terms of enhancing social inclusion, integration and cohesion.

The Monash research found that refugees and humanitarian migrants who had been reunited with their families had a lower probability of mental illness and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and were more likely to be engaged in study or job training.

Oxfam Australia Chief Executive Lyn Morgain said: “The primary purpose of Australia’s Refugee and Humanitarian intake is to provide refuge and support to people who have been forced to flee their home country in order to escape war, persecution, or a natural disaster,” Ms Morgain said.

“What this report and the modelling from Deloitte Access Economics shows is that accepting more refugees will boost the Australian economy as these new Australians settle in and become productive members of our society,” she said.

Oxfam has called on the federal government to increase the refugee intake to 44,000 by 2022/23 and to create within it a visa stream of 10,000 places annually that is specifically designed to make it easier for humanitarian migrants to be reunited with their family. Read the full report here: 2019-AC-012-Families-Together_report_FA2-_WEB.pdf